GoFundMe started for men left homeless after blaze in Glenmore

Photo: Brendan Harkin

A raging fire that destroyed an apartment complex under construction in Glenmore on Tuesday has forced the evacuation of homes in the immediate vicinity. Now, a GoFundMe campaign has been started for the three young men who lost their home in the fire.

A local state of emergency was declared Wednesday evening after it was determined that the crane in the centre of the construction zone may be structurally unsound, forcing evacuations in the immediate area.

“We are working with the City of Kelowna, Emergency Management BC, Worksafe BC, the Kelowna Fire Department and professional engineers to assess the level of risk, determine the structural integrity of the crane and mitigate the situation as quickly as possible,” Sandra Follack, Central Okanagan Regional District emergency program co-ordinator, said in a press release.

The new evacuees now join Brendan Harkin and his two roommates who have been out of their home, unit 7 of Wyndham Cres. since the fire on Tuesday.

Harkin tells Castanet he and his two roommates have been in their townhome for about five months and didn't have any homeowners insurance.

Now, Eric Wilson has started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the losses caused by the blaze.

"We'd like to do our best to raise $10,000 to at least put a dent in the recovery of the damages to help Brendan Harkin and Carson Judd. We have a strong community here in Kelowna and we are confident we can help them through these tough times," says the GoFundMe post.

Harkin told Castanet he and his roommates were lucky to get out of the building, "my bedroom is completely gone."

"So if we could pull together and do our best in the next 2 weeks to get some money for the strata that would have the biggest impact for them. $5, 10$, 20$, any little bit helps. Thanks, everyone for the support!" Wilson said.