Family of 8 from Afghanistan left homeless by large fire in Monterey Park

Members of afamily of eight from Afghanistan are left with little more than the clothes on their backs following a largehouse fire in Monterey Park on Thursday.

"It was a beautiful house," said an emotional Amail Yar while surveying the damage to his family's home on Costa Mesa Close N.E.

"It's my first house, we love our house."

• Crews battle 2-alarm Monterey Park house fire

Firefighters were called to the home about 3 p.m. Thursday while Yar's wife and six children were at the store. A neighbour saw smoke pouring from the windows and a second alarm was called in. Investigators are searching for what caused the fire.

Yar said he has "only my phone and my clothes, that's it."

His wife also lost medication and his children their laptops and phones.

The family came to Calgary in 2008 from Winnipeg, having lived in Montreal for a short time before that.

"I like Alberta better," said Yar.

They first found accommodation with Calgary Housing before being able to buy their own home.

Losing the home was a huge blow.

"We really miss our neighbourhood," said Yar.

"This was my first house, we love the house, we love the neighbourhood, we love our neighbours. My children have grown up almost four years here, they have lots of friends here, we have family friends."

He will especially miss spending evenings on the patio with his family.

"Summer nights we just come, me and my wife, chatting and talking," he said.

"We had a good time."

Yar met with insurance adjustors Friday and were being put up in a hotel until Sunday.

After that, he's not sure.

A kitten remains missing.