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A retired couple in Grand Forks, British Columbia, is rising from the ashes again after escaping fire and losing all their belongings not once, but twice in 2025.
Ritchie and Renee Day were enjoying a quiet evening at their unit at Johnny's Motel in Grand Forks, located about 340 kilometers southeast of Vancouver, when they heard a knock on their unit door on the evening of Dec. 21.
“We just couldn't believe it,” Richie Day said from her son's home. “Another fire.”
fire at Johnny's motel displaced Days for the second time this year, along with short-term and long-term residents from four other units.
They only moved into the motel four months ago to clear their insurance and take advantage of it after their dream home was destroyed in a fire in late September.
Their home was reduced to ashes just days after completing a decade of projects, renovations and improvements to the residence, located prominently on Grand Forks' Main Street.
Ritchie remembers how she had just gotten into bed on the night of the house fire on September 30 when Rene started screaming and ran into the room. He heard a loud noise outside and found the deck completely engulfed in rapidly spreading flames.
“The smoke was so strong you couldn’t even catch your breath,” Ritchie said.
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 cell phone, they narrowly escaped and watched from the street as their house burned.
“No glasses, no hearing aids, no CPAP, nothing,” Ritchie said.
Most painful was the loss of Day's four pet birds, which died in the fire.
“I would have done anything to save them, but we just couldn't do it. We didn't stand a chance. We barely made it out.”
She said neighbors 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 Renee were sent to the hospital overnight to be treated for smoke inhalation and to be observed while fire crews battled the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains a mystery to Days.
“We were told the fire was spontaneous combustion. I don't know where from and I don't know why,” Ritchie said.
They went from the hospital to a friend's house to recuperate and replace necessary items such as glasses.
Ritchie said Grand Forks residents immediately came to their aid.
“The generosity has actually been overwhelming. It's a beautiful place.”
People started fundraising, businesses donated items, and people helped in any way they could.
After staying with a friend for a few days, Day moved to Johnny's Motel, which she said they really liked.
They planned to bring the unit home next year while they sorted out the insurance claims.
All this went to waste on the evening of December 21.
“Simply devastating”
Fire Chief Morgan Strohmann of the Grand Forks Fire Department said a guest's car filled with Christmas gifts caught fire in the motel garage and quickly spread to the roof of the building.
According to him, the cause of the car fire has not been established.
“It was just devastating. It's such a nice place. The people are so nice and they've been so kind to us,” Ritchie said.
Half the motel is still operating, Strohmann confirmed, but five units have been deemed unsafe due to extensive damage.
The Days spent Christmas at their son's home and are currently waiting to move into one of Johnny's remaining apartments.
“I mean, there are certain things you can't control, so there's no point in getting too upset. And we're not ready to get depressed,” said Ritchie, determined to bounce back in 2026.
