A man was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries after his home in Anahim Lake was destroyed by fire late Sunday, April 30.
Anahim Lake RCMP were called to the fire around midnight.
“Emergency personnel attended and immediately located the home owner outside of his residence,” said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson, North District RCMP media relations.
“He and his dog escaped the fully engulfed structure.”
The dog was not injured, she confirmed.
A fundraising campaign has been started online by Anahim Lake resident and long-time friend Liz Anderson who said the home owner, Don Shairp, nicknamed ‘Hippie Don’, moved to the area on Halloween 1980.
“Hippie has become a part of our community, attending and supporting all community events such as rodeos, holiday events, funerals, etc.,” she wrote in the GoFundMe post.
She said the hope is to build a new modern energy efficient one level home on his property.
“The fire moved so fast he got out with only a T-shirt (he had his jacket in his vehicle.”
Shairp’s daughter, Kristine Shairp, noted on Facebook her dad built his home with his bare hands and all the out buildings which store all his collectibles.
She said he is still in the hospital in Williams Lake with a few ear wounds and fighting COVID.
Cpl. Saunderson said members of Ulkatcho First Nation attended with the band’s water truck and community members brought an excavator to make a fire break around the residence on Sunday evening.
There is no fire protection in the community of Anahim Lake.
Dawson Road Maintenance also attended, assisting with traffic control and monitoring the power lines in the area.
BC Wildfire Service and BC Hydro were notified and by 6 a.m. Monday the fire was reported to be extinguished, Saunderson said, notingthe cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and there is no criminality suspected.
monica.lamb-yorski@wltribune.com
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