Mark Pomrenke grateful for Wolseley neighbours after fire destroys home

In the early hours of Saturday morning, as a housingdevelopment caught fire in Wolseley, Mark Pomrenke, his wife and two children slept soundly across the back lane from the flames.

That is until a neighbour, Adam Hannah, began pounding on their door, yelling at the family of four to get up and get out.

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Thanks to Hannah's warning, all family members escaped the house alive even though a fireball at the corner of Westminster Avenue and Maryland Street exploded just feet away from the bedroom of Pomrenke's eight-month-old son.

Pomrenke believes ifHannah had come minutes later, he and his family may not have made it.

There was no sign of danger, no smell of smoke to alert them to the fire next door, he said. It was only until Pomrenkewas outside he saw how severe the fire was.

Pomrenkesaid hespent hours watching his family'sWestminster Avenue home which they had named Raspberry Manor burn to rubble.

"It's totally surreal," said Pomrenke.

"For three hours there were flames coming out of the roof."

Grateful toWolseley community

Pomrenkesaid he has "extreme gratitude" for the support his family has received from Wolseley neighbours.

Hannah, the man who had rescued the family, lent Pomrenke clothes and shoes to wear. Another neighbour, Amandawho Pomrenke calls "Saint Amanda" came by to deliver diapers and children's clothes in the middle of the night.

"I cannot say enough about my neighbours," said Pomrenke, fighting back tears.

As far as Raspberry Manor,Pomrenke's home on Westminster Avenue, the family lost everything in Saturday's blaze including the house itself.From passports to clothing to drivers licences,everything must be replaced, he said.

For the time being, the family plans to moveinto a rental home down the street.Pomrenke said he willrebuild a home on his lot and willcall the new house Phoenix Place.

A number of people are collecting cash donations for victims of Saturday's fire, includingWestminster Church and Edna NabessatCree-Ations on Main Street.

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