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Red Deer men whose trailer home destroyed by tragic fire moving on

Trailer home residents asking for a little help from volunteers to clean up the trailer site
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With help from friends and family, two Red Deer men who lost their trailer home in a fatal fire last month hope to start over in Ponoka.

Lance Kenney, who lived in the trailer owned by his friend Mario Roy, lost everything when a fire in a neighbouring unit in Les’s Trailer Park caught fire in the early hours of Feb. 28.

A seven-year-old girl died in the fire and her five-year-old brother passed away nearly two weeks later in a Calgary hospital. The children’s mother, Sarah Arlidge, remains in hospital being treated for serious burns.

Her three-year-old son and husband suffered burns and were treated and released from hospital.

Kenney and Roy have been living in a smaller holiday trailer next to the burned-out unit since the blaze. They have lined up a new trailer in Ponoka, where they hope to move soon.

Living next to the scene of such a tragedy has been difficult.

“It’s too much,” said Roy, who had known Sarah since she was a girl, and whom she considered an uncle.

“I want to get out of here.”

Kenney feels the same way.

“That’s the whole thing. Being here is a constant reminder of (the fire),” said Kenney. “We’re ready to move on.”

Family and friends have come forward with donations of furniture and other items they will need, for which Roy and Kenney are grateful. Because of the age of the trailer, they could not get insurance for it.

Before they leave, they are hoping to line up some help clearing the yard around the trailer of all of the belongings burned in the fire, including a motorcycle, snowblower, lawnmowers and other items.

The two can’t handle the cleanup on their own. Roy has not been able to work since injuring his back and Kenney was born with a disease that affects his back also.

“Heavy lifting for us is difficult,” he said.

Some of the machinery and other debris has been frozen into the ice because a water pipe broke in the fire. To give the pair a hand, call 403-307-5052.



pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com

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