A John Street fire has left longtime residents James, Tom, and Gary Fraser without a home and fearful about the fate of their missing dog.
The three brothers, who have lived in the home for more than 20 years, were attending a funeral Wednesday when they received the shocking news that their house was on fire.
A friend at the service informed them that their house was in flames after hearing about it from another neighbour. A witness earlier told OrilliaMatters the fire started at around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Crews from the Orillia Fire Department were joined by Rama firefighters to quell the stubborn blaze.
“We have no idea what happened,” Gary Fraser told OrilliaMatters this afternoon. “The fire department hasn’t told us anything yet.”
The Frasers confirmed they had no electrical appliances plugged in at the time, as they had recently replaced their stove but had yet to install it. The only notable fixture in the basement was the home’s fuse box, they noted.
More pressing for the brothers, however, is the fate of their missing dog, Ace. The small Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix — described as black, white, and tan — has not been seen since the fire started.
They are also missing their cat Jizmo, a black and white cat who ran away two days ago. They are worried he won’t try to come home now, as he usually does after escaping.
The siblings hope Ace fled the burning two-storey brick home.
“There was a lot of smoke,” James Fraser noted. “When they broke the door open, he might have run out. I hope he did.”
The Frasers say neighbours have been incredibly supportive, offering them temporary places to stay and checking in with updates. However, they remain in the dark about the full extent of the damage.
“We can’t even go inside yet,” James said, noting they don’t have insurance. “We just don’t know.”
The brothers ask anyone who sees their pets to contact them at 705-619-1398.
