Kingsville fire victims are still looking for a home

By Mark Ribble

Crystal Cox and her two boys — Chase, 15 and Gavin, 11 — were playing games upstairs in their Kingsville home on the afternoon of January 29, when their lives changed in an instant.

They heard a popping noise and shortly thereafter, Gavin thought he could smell smoke.

Their house was on fire and they scrambled to get to safety.

The house on Erie Street in Kingsville, was a rental and Crystal got her boys out just in time, although she did suffer from some smoke inhalation and they also lost their two cats in the blaze.

She had no renters insurance, and her landlord has told her that they are not planning on re-renting the house — even if it can be repaired.

“I estimate that about 95 per cent of our stuff is gone,” said Crystal last week from a motel room in Leamington. “There’s not much left.”

Crystal Cox with her sons, Gavin and Chase.

Photo submitted

The single mom and her boys have been staying at the motel since the fire broke out. The Salvation Army came forward and paid for two nights at the motel, but Crystal has had to foot the bill for the rest of the nights, at nearly $200 a night.

She’s looking for an affordable rental in the area and will go as far as the Essex area if needed.

Clothing donations have poured in to help the family of three with their plight, but they are in dire need of a place to stay.

“We don’t even have beds anymore,” she said. “All that’s left are the steel frames.”

Her sister, Ricki-Lynn, started a GoFundMe page to help get monetary donations rolling, which will, in turn, help them with first and last month’s rent when they are able to find a place. The fundraising goal is $5000 and so far about $3500 has been raised.

Interior damage to one of the bedrooms. The fire on January 29, left Crystal Cox and her boys without a home.

Photo submitted

“I give huge thanks to the community for all of their support,” said Crystal.

Now, if only someone from the community could offer them a place to rent, they’d be well on their way to beginning the long journey back to resuming their lives.

If you are interested in making a donation to help this family out, visit their GoFundMe page at https://gofund. me/49c43890. You can also email ricki-lynn@live.ca to help out.