Toronto firefighters donate $1K to couple who lost belongings in house fire
Toronto firefighters are giving back to the residents who were forced from their Kensington Market home after a two-alarm house fire earlier this month.
The house on Bellevue Avenue was home to Alicia Robbins, her husband Kevin Gebhardt and two others. The fire broke out on Feb. 7 leaving around $100,000 in damages.
The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association (TPFFA) donated $1,000 to Robbins and Gebhardt Thursday evening to help them rebuild their lives.
"I'm speechless, overwhelmed," said Robbins after receiving the cheque.
Fire fighters from nearby stations, including Station 315, quickly arrived to fight the flames. They were able to get all the residents, including five people and a dog, out safely.
"We are so, so, so, grateful to everyone at Fire Station 315, everyone in the Kensington Market community. This wasn't just our house, this is our home, this is our community," Robbins added.
The fire erupted at 59 Bellevue Avenue at around noon after the electrical panel exploded. The fire, which had started in the basement, needed 18 fire trucks and 52 firefighters to put out.
The couple lost the majority of their furniture and clothing and Gebhardt couldn't be more grateful for the help.
"It's not something I want to experience but this is just incredible for what they've done," Gebhardt said.
"This is just remarkable that they've come together," he said.
This donation is part of the TPFFA's continuing campaign to provide help to people affected by fires.
"In some situations, it's a financial donation. In others, it might be a furniture donation, it might be just help finding them temporary residency somewhere but we do whatever we can to help them out," said Dan Vieira, the executive officer of TPFFA.
As for the couple, they just want to return home as soon as they can. A GoFundMe page for them has raised well over $4,000.
