Neighbours in Paul Lake are hoping to raise money for one of their own after a house fire last week sent a woman to hospital.
Lorna Palibroda was injured after her furnace exploded on Sept. 23, which caused her house to go up in flames. One of her neighbours, Maurice Franklin, heard the explosion and saw flames and rushed over to help.
“He jumped the fence and kicked down the door to find Lorna on the floor of her home surrounded with flames, embers, and smoke. He was able to help her out of the burning building to safety,” Terri Carlson said in a GoFundMe post, which was originally hoping to raise $2,000. As of 5:30 a.m. this morning, over $5,300 had been raised.
Volunteers from the East Paul Lake Fire Department along with the Pinantan and West Paul Lake Volunteer Fire Departments were able to stop the fire from spreading to the forest or the neighbouring homes.
“Lorna is now recovering in ICU from burns on her hands and face and is stable but has a long way to go,” Carlson added, noting she remains in a serious condition and may need surgery. “She has lost everything in the fire and will be starting over.”
“After everything that everyone has gone through this year, losing your home and belongings on top of that is unimaginable. We are [trying] to help her to start over and to heal without having to worry about things like clothing, shelter, or funds.”