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A retired couple in Grand Forks, B.C., is rebuilding from ashes yet again — after escaping fire and losing all of their belongings not once, but twice, in 2025.
Ritchie and Rene Day were enjoying a quiet evening in their unit at Johnny’s Motel in Grand Forks – located about 340 km southeast of Vancouver – when they heard banging on their unit’s door on the evening of Dec. 21.
“We just couldn’t believe it,” said Ritchie Day from her son’s house. “Another fire.”
The fire at Johnny’s Motel displaced the Days for the second time this year, along with the short-term and long-term residents from four other units.
They had just moved into the motel four months ago to reset and navigate insurance after losing their dream home to a fire in late September.
Their home had been reduced to ash just days after completing a decade’s worth of projects, renovations and landscaping on the residence, located prominently on a main street in Grand Forks.
Ritchie remembers how she had just settled into bed on the night of the house fire on Sept. 30, when Rene started yelling and came running into the room. He had heard a loud noise from outside and found the deck completely engulfed in fast-spreading flames.
“The smoke was just so overwhelming you couldn’t even catch a little breath,” said Ritchie.
Ritchie said they didn’t have time to grab anything as the house filled with smoke and fire. With nothing but the clothes on their backs and Rene’s cellphone, they narrowly escaped and watched their house burn from the street.
“No glasses, no hearing aids, no CPAp machine, nothing,” said Ritchie.
Most painful was the loss of the Days’ four pet birds, who died in the fire.
“I would have done anything to save them, but we just couldn’t do it. We had no chance. We barely got out.”
She said neighbours immediately came out to wrap them in blankets, give them a place to sit and a shoulder to lean on as they watched their house burn.
Ritchie said she and Rene were sent to hospital overnight to be treated for smoke inhalation and monitoring while fire crews extinguished the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains a mystery to the Days.
“We were told the fire was a result of spontaneous combustion. I don’t know from where, I don’t know why,” said Ritchie.
They went from the hospital to a friend’s house to recuperate and replace essential items like their glasses.
Ritchie said the community in Grand Forks immediately came to their aid.
“The generosity was overwhelming, really. It’s a great place to be.”
People started a fundraiser, businesses donated items, and people helped out in any way they could.
After staying with their friend for a few days, the Days moved into Johnny’s Motel, which she says they absolutely loved.
They planned to call the unit home for the next year as they navigated insurance claims.
That all went up in smoke on the evening of Dec. 21.
‘Just devastating’
Fire Chief Morgan Strohmann with the Grand Forks Fire Department said a guest’s vehicle filled with Christmas presents had ignited in the motel’s parking garage, quickly spreading to the building’s roof.
He said the cause of the vehicle fire is undetermined.
“It was just devastating. It’s such a nice little spot. The people are so lovely, and they were so good to us,” said Ritchie.
Half of the motel is still operational, confirmed Fire Chief Strohmann, but five units have been deemed unsafe due to extensive damage.
The Days spent Christmas at their son’s house and are currently waiting to move into one of the intact units at Johnny’s.
“I mean, there’s certain things you have no control over, so there’s hardly any point in getting too upset. And we’re not prepared to be depressed,” said Ritchie, determined to rebuild in 2026.
