'Still in shock': Community rallies around the survivors of fatal house fire in northern Alberta

Two children who survived a fatal house fire in northern Alberta have been released from the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton and are on the way back to the community with their mother, according to the chief of Little Red River Cree Nation.

The five-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy got out of the house in Fox Lake after it caught fire early Saturday morning.

According to Chief Conroy Sewepagaham, the children were taken to the local nursing station by a community member and later sent to the Stollery as a precaution.

Four people were killed in the blaze, including a 78-year-old man and woman, an 8-year-old boy, and a 7-year-old girl, according to police.

Sewepagaham said the victims and the children that survived were all members of the same family and lived together in the home.

The children’s mother is alive. Sewepagaham could not confirm if she was home when the flames broke out.

Sewepagaham called the loss of four members of such a tight-knit community devastating.

“It’s the full range of emotions, I think. A lot of folks are still in shock,” he said. “Thankfully we’re pretty resilient. A lot of people outpouring their support locally and within the region and in western Canada, so thankfully community members are coming together to support the family.”

He said the community held a vigil for the family on Sunday night. Schools were closed on Monday and grief counsellors were brought in.

The community is also collecting donations for the family, such as clothes for the children. Donations can be sent to the Little Red River Cree Nation administration.

“It’s incomprehensible for me to put myself in [the family’s] shoes, but I cannot imagine what they’re going through right now. Especially with something happening so sudden. Nobody expects this in any community to go through this.”

Sewepagaham says homes in the community are spaced out, and many are tucked into the trees, which he believes is why it took so long for the fire to be spotted.

He says the community only has a volunteer fire department, and getting water on a fire can be a challenge.

“We don’t necessarily have fire hydrants nearby even if we had a response team. That’s something we’ve been continuously advocating and lobbying, is making sure we have the adequate resources to fight such a fire.”

For now, all the community can do is support the survivors.

“We’re just giving them time to comprehend what has happened, and when they’re ready to heal from this journey we’ll be there for them,” the chief promised.

Fox Lake is an unincorporated community around 180 kilometres east of High Level. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg.