The Town of Sidney Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire on Amelia Avenue in Sidney on Monday (Dec. 16), at approximately 1:39 p.m.

Neighbours next to the burning house reported 2432 Amelia Ave. was engulfed in smoke and they could see flames inside. 

First on the scene was Sidney Fire Chief Brett Mikkelsen. "White smoke was visible to me from about two blocks away. It was evident when I arrived that the building was on fire, but it was contained inside the house."

Fire crews arrived shortly after and managed to force the front door open to get to the seat of the fire.

According to Mikkelsen, the house was "severely damaged" inside from the long-running fire, leaving it completely covered in soot. 

"Thankfully, we were able to enter before the windows broke, which would have allowed more oxygen to enter the room and possibly started a larger fire that would have destroyed the entire house."

The fire chief said adjacent homes were not damaged. "It's a big concern in Sidney, especially in these small-lot subdivisions where the separation between homes is quite small."  

Mikkelsen thanked the Central Saanich and North Saanich fire departments for their assistance; Central Saanich Fire helped cover the department while they were on Amelia Avenue and North Saanich Fire assisted in putting out the fire.

Finding their home on fire

Rick Janzen was sitting at a fast food restaurant on Beacon Avenue when his neighbour texted him that his house was on fire.

"I was shocked...I dropped my food and I ran out the door, " Janzen said. He then asked a gentleman filling his car up with gas to drive him home; the man was more than happy to help, he said.

Upon his arrival, he was stunned by the state of their home, which had been a part of their lives for 21 years.

"I just ran up to my house and it was all smoke. It's terrible. I never want to see that again."

His wife, Jane was out of the home when she got a message from her husband. "I texted her right away and she thought I was joking. So, she ran from the library to Amelia where we live. When we got up there, I got too close to the house and it affected my asthma...the ambulance had to come for me because I couldn't breathe."

Janzen told Peninsula News Review he was trying to get to their pet cat, Nina, who unfortunately died in the fire. "She suffered...that's the worst of it all. I don't care about the house, she was our beautiful baby girl," he said through tears.

Currently, the Janzens are receiving emergency support services from the fire department, which is setting them up with lodging and food for the next four days while they get their insurance and other affairs in order.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

GoFundMe for Rick and Jane

The house fire left Liz Giles, a friend of the Janzens, stunned.

"My mother lives a couple of houses down," Giles said. "It was a feeling of shock and sadness especially when I heard about the cat that did not survive the fire. It's devastating because they're such awesome people."

Giles' relationship with the Janzen is a personal one.

"When my seven-month-old son and I were kicked out of our home two years ago with the clothes on our backs, Rick and Jane were there for us in our time of need. Expecting nothing in return, they gave me bags of clothes and the community support I so desperately needed."

She felt it was only right to create ato help the Janzens through this difficult time.

On the fundraiser page, Giles said the Janzens will have to live elsewhere for the next six months minimum while they recover from the fire. The house's entire interior will need to be repainted, and contents replaced including clothes, furniture, personal items and the like.

"This is literally the worst possible time of year for anything like that. Everything's already so stressful and now you're gonna have to rebuild your life at Christmas. That's awful," she said.

The community has rallied together in support and the GoFundMe page has raised over $7,000 in less than 24 hours.

All funds go directly to the Janzens to keep them housed, their business ( afloat, replace items, ease stress and allow them to live as normally as possible while they try to rebuild their home.