A Lucknow family of 14 lost their home in a fire on Monday night.
Huron-Kinloss firefighters from both the Lucknow and Ripley stations responded to a call of a house fire on Bob Street around 8:40 p.m.
Fire chief Chris Cleave said by the time crews arrived, the upstairs of the two-storey split-level house was fully involved.
"We implemented a defensive strategy to get the fire knocked down and then we transitioned to an interior attack after that," he said. "All 12 members of the family were safely evacuated and accounted for. The fire was extinguished by the fire department, unfortunately the house is a total loss due to smoke and fire damage and the unfortunate part of this circumstance is the family pet, the dog, did perish in the fire."
Over 35 volunteers responded to the call. It took about 20 minutes to get the fire under control, and crews were on scene until after midnight.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Cleave says they know where it originated.
"Based on witness statements that we got, the first person to notice the fire in the house... they went down to the basement to investigate and noticed the dryer was on fire," he said. "They attempted to remove some contents from that room but the fire just grew too fast so they evacuated the house. At this point, we've narrowed it down. Potential cause was the appliance, the dryer itself, whether it was an electrical failure, a mechanical failure or something came into contact with the heating elements."
The family was put in contact with Victims Services that night. There have also been efforts on social media to collect donations for two parents and 12 children.
Cleave says the family is thankful for all the support they've received so far.
"From what I understand, the community has come out in large to help the family," he said. "I was just speaking to the homeowner, he says he's been overwhelmed with the amount of donations and stuff that have come forward. With the family being so large, they are kind of split up right now. I do know he's been in contact with his insurance company and they plan on attending here shortly to try make arrangements to get them all back together in one place and situated; get a little stable until they can get their home rebuilt."
**an earlier version of this story said the family consisted of 12 people (two parents and 10 children). The story now reflects the correct number (two parents and 12 children).