Neighbours are rallying around a Cowichan Valley resident who lost his home to a fire last month.

Peter ColynB次元官网网址檚 trailer caught fire on Sept. 11, and is beyond repair. While he has already found a new place to live, it will cost him thousands of dollars to move the shell of the trailer out of the park where he has lived for 47 years B次元官网网址� 46 of them in the same spot.

The 75-year-old Colyn has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, leaving him with 25 per cent lung capacity, and as a result he is on oxygen. That doesnB次元官网网址檛 prevent him from taking care of himself, though.

B次元官网网址淚 still try to do all kinds of things,B次元官网网址� he says. On Sept. 11, Colyn was working on the trailer with a torch, preparing to build a new roof he had saved up for. He believes a spark got into the wall and smouldered for hours before finally catching fire. He was doing dishes that afternoon when his neighbours yelled at him that they could see flames.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been torching on this place for 47 years, probably, but one spark decided to hibernate for a little while, and poof,B次元官网网址� he recalls.

The fire spread into the ceiling, where it did most of its damage. Most of the ceiling was destroyed, and about 5,000 gallons of water got into the floor as firefighters doused the blaze.

B次元官网网址淚t kind of really buggered up the living room and three quarters of the kitchen,B次元官网网址� Colyn says.

Because the only source of heat in the trailer was a wood-burning stove, he was unable to get insurance. Until he can get the remnants of the trailer out of the park, he is paying rent on the pad and on the apartment he was fortunate to find soon after the fire and which he is currently moving into.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 one in 1,000 that I got an apartment,B次元官网网址� Colyn says. B次元官网网址淓verythingB次元官网网址檚 got a waiting list.B次元官网网址�

Even better, Colyn is allowed to keep his cat at the new place. HeB次元官网网址檚 been staying with his sister while he salvages what he can from the trailer and relocates. She tolerates the cat, he says, but sheB次元官网网址檚 not used to it.

B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 92, and sheB次元官网网址檚 a little bit fussy,B次元官网网址� he explains with a grin. B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 set in her ways.B次元官网网址�

An avid reader, Colyn had about 3,000 books in the trailer and lost half of them to the flames and water. HeB次元官网网址檚 limited to what he can have in his apartment, as well, and is sorting through whatB次元官网网址檚 left to decide what to keep.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 got many years of memories to go through,B次元官网网址� says neighbour Deborah Helme, who has set up a GoFundMe account for Colyn and is helping him sell stuff on Facebook. She had already sold his washer, dryer, wheelbarrow and power saw, and was taking pictures of his air conditioner to post.

It will cost $5,000 at the very least to move the trailer off the pad, and Colyn will also need a bin to remove the garbage and damaged parts of the trailer, and any assistance is welcome. Donations are being accepted online at