'We will miss him in the community:' Neighbours react to fatal Regina house fire

There’s a big void being left in a Regina neighbourhood after a fatal house fire.

People living on Connaught Street, just west of Lewvan, are saddened to learn of a man’s death after a home caught fire Saturday evening. 

“Oh it makes me feel awful,” said next door neighbour Brenda Tamaki. “We will miss him in the community. He’s badly missed.”

The man’s name is being withheld while police notify his family.

For Tamaki, that’s what she considered him to be.

“We were one big family and he was part of it,” she said.

He’s being remembered as someone very helpful. Tamaki recalled how he often cleared snow from sidewalks, picked up trash and cut lawns for those who lived on his street, along with several neighbouring streets. She added he offered to get groceries for his neighbours as well without wanting anything in return.

Tamaki said she left her home on Saturday afternoon and noticed a smell of smoke, but didn’t think much of it at the time. When she returned home several hours later there was no doubt in her mind something was wrong.

By then, she said other neighbours believed the same thing and placed a call to the fire department.

She described seeing thick, black smoke and small flames protruding from the house.

Fire investigators remained on scene Monday afternoon, trying to determine what caused the fire.