After walking through the inside of her burned out home on Monday, December 14, 2020 Stephanie DeJong can’t believe how everything was destroyed.
DeJong arrived home on Friday, December 11, 2020 and when she opened the door to the home, she was hit by a wall of smoke.
Firefighters quickly arrived, but it took several hours to douse the stubborn flames.
In the end, the home sustained nearly $500,000 worth of damage.
The outside of the home doesn’t look that bad, but everything inside was destroyed by the intense heat of the fire.
DeJong and her two children (Jackson and Chloe) are staying temporarily at her parents house.
DeJong has insurance, but said it’s devastating to lose everything you’ve ever owned.
No one was home at the time of the fire where it’s believed it started around the stairwell and spread.
Looking up the stairs, DeJong said she’s grateful the fire didn’t happen when the children were home as the stairs were burned out that lead up to their bedrooms.
A melted Christmas tree hung with decorations made by her children, presents to one side of the tree and stockings covered in soot on the other.
Speaking with Today’s Northumberland after walking through her home on Monday, DeJong said she’s shed a lot of tears since the fire, but not for what people would think.
“It’s not because I’m sad, it’s because I’m feeling the love from the community – it’s amazing.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
