Community supports Mission Lake family who lost home to fire

As soon as Jamie Snider heard her friend’s home was on fire, she knew she had to do something.

The Krause family’s home was completely destroyed by the flames. The fire also took the lives of the family’s three dogs.

“They’re a little overwhelmed,” Snider said. “They were dealing with a lot of stuff today insurance adjusters that sort of thing so I think it’s becoming a little more real now.”

The family of five including Nicole, Steve and their three children noticed the fire when they got home from a trip to Regina on Sunday. Snider said they pulled into the driveway of their home on the south side of Mission Lake near Fort Qu’Appelle and smelt smoke. When they moved around to the front of their home, they saw the flames.

The Fort Qu’Appelle Fire Department responded to the fire, but they were not able to save the home.

However, in the days that follow the community has rallied around the family.

A GoFundMe set up by Snider has already raised more than $12,000.

“Originally I had started the goal at $8,000 and I thought I’ve never done this before I don’t know where to start so I dropped it to $5,000 and it’s really done well. The community is great and social media is wonderful because everybody knows someone else who knows someone else,” Snider said.

People in the area have also provided more than just monetary support with many families offering up their homes while they’re on vacation for the Krauses to stay in.

“Basically the whole community pulled together.”

Snider has set up an account at Conexus Credit Union for people who want to help the family but don’t want to use GoFundMe. It’s listed under Krause family donations.

The library in Fort Qu’Appelle is also taking donations of clothing and household items for the family, she said.