GoFundMe launched to help support firefighter who lost truck

Photo: GoFundMe

Family members of a Kelowna firefighter who had his truck stolen while fighting the Christie Mountain wildfire are hoping the community will show their support by donating to a GoFundMe set up in his honour. 

After spending a week battling the blaze, Connor Callaghan returned home to Merritt, where he's been stationed with BC Wildfire Service since May, to find his 2003 Toyota Tundra gone.

Since Callaghan had been living out of the truck, he was also missing all of his personal belongings, including camping gear, a laptop, iPad and school bag for his mechanical engineering studies at university. 

Now his sisters Sarah and Gillian Callaghan have jumped into action to set up a GoFundMe page for the firefighter, in hopes the community will rally around him at this difficult time. 

"This truck had been his home the past two summers while he fought wildfires in BC and Alberta," the sisters wrote on the GoFundMe page.

"The truck has been in our family for 17 years, our dad bought it new in 2003 and sold it to our brother in 2017. Together they have accumulated over 670,000km on the truck, maintaining it was something Connor and our dad liked to do together. 

"Connor held the truck close to his heart and we don't think any amount of money could replace the truck's sentimental value. In case anyone has seen, or sees the truck in the Lower Mainland please notify the police."

The truck is a navy blue 2003 Toyota Tundra with the license plate JY3181. The tailgate is grey, and the vehicle has a canopy and Thule bike rack on the back. It currently does not have the ski box shown in the picture.

If you have any information about the theft or see the vehicle, please contact your local police. 

To visit the GoFundMe page, click here.