Community comes together to support couple who lost seven pets, home in Washburn Island fire

A few pictures and a few keepsakes are all that’s left for a Washburn Island couple after a fire destroyed their home earlier this month.

“The fire destroyed most of the house and almost everything but the garage was considered unsavable,” Sherry Hummel, Laura and Paul Taylor’s daughter-in-law, told This Week.

Aside from their worldly possessions, the Taylors mourn the loss of their seven pets, all of whom perished in the fire. their cat Shadow, the dogs Diamond and Daisy and the four parrots Blue, Coco, Dana and Edie.

“I know that this was one of the hardest losses to accept because they were loved very much and unfortunately nothing can really replace that loss,” says Hummel.

Laura also ran a home business, Sweet Lavender Pastries, and had been taking orders for the holiday season before the fire.

“Her business has been a true passion for her and we hope that one day she will be able to resume this passion as it means a lot to her,” says her daughter-in-law.

The Kawartha Lakes Fire Department was called to the home on Washburn Island Road at approximately 11:30 a.m. on December 8.

“On arrival, flames were already shooting through the roof,” Chief Terry Jones told This Week.

Given the proximity to Lake Scugog, Jones said firefighters were able to mount a defensive attack and put out the fire relatively quickly, leaving the scene within two and a half hours.

The house is considered a total loss, says Jones, and puts the value at around $500,000. He adds that while the cause of the fire is not considered suspicious, it is under further investigation.

At the time nobody was home. Laura was in the hospital and Paul was at work when he got a call from a neighbor that his house was on fire, Hummel says.

Since the Victoria County Disaster Trust Fund, which for decades provided immediate relief to those in need following a Kawartha Lakes fire, defunct as an organization, Haliburton/Kawartha Victim Services has stepped up to provide the same service.

“They were asked for immediate help,” says Jones.

Laura and Paul are currently staying in a hotel, says Hummel, who has started a GoFundMe page to help her in-laws get back on their feet, as well as a Facebook page (Helping the Taylor Family) for donations of other much-needed necessities like clothes and groceries as well as updates.

“Overall, my in-laws are fine, but they’re obviously grieving for their home and pets,” says Hummel.

“It is truly an unimaginable tragedy that they have had to go through and I hope that our fundraiser, community and family can help them return to what they love and a place they will love.”

The Washburn Island Community Facebook page has also been a great source of support for the Taylors, whose neighbors also raised money for them during the Washburn Island Santa Claus Parade.

“I really want to thank everyone for their generosity and kind words. It really means the world to the family and they’ve helped the family more than they will ever know,” says Hummel.

“Fires are very devastating anytime, but always seem to get worse during the holiday season,” Jones says, adding that home fires can be a reminder for everyone to check that all smoke alarms in the home are working.

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