ORILLIA - Several weeks after a fire tore through their John Street home, longtime Orillia residents James, Gary and Tom Fraser are still grappling with the loss — but they aren’t giving up hope.
The three brothers, known for their quiet generosity and community spirit, lost everything in the March 19 blaze, including essential medications, cherished family belongings and the nearly paid-off home they had lived in for over 20 years.
Making the tragedy even more painful, the fire happened while the brothers were attending a family funeral, just six weeks after losing another brother.
“They’re the kind of people who would give the shirt off their back,” said their neighbour of 25 years, Rosemarie Colautti. “Even after the fire, they were helping neighbours during the ice storm — hooking up generators for seniors, bailing out flooded basements, doing whatever they could. And all this while living out of their van.”
The brothers did not have insurance at the time of the fire. According to Colautti, they had been in the process of switching providers after being dropped due to pending home repairs.
They had already upgraded their electrical, finished plumbing repairs, and were just two sheets of drywall away from meeting their requirements when disaster struck.
“They were in between policies, and then this happened,” Colautti said. “It’s just heartbreaking.”
The fire, which Colautti says has since been ruled as having an “unknown cause,” has left the home severely smoke-damaged. A structural engineer has determined the home can be salvaged, but everything inside must be gutted.
Adding to the heartbreak, the brothers’ dog perished in the fire, and their cat remains missing, last seen wandering near the property.
“There aren’t words to describe how devastating that’s been for them,” Colautti said.
While the brothers were initially provided with a hotel room for a week, they have since returned to sleeping in their van. Neighbours like Colautti are stepping up to help however they can — providing meals, clothing, and a warm space to rest during the day.
Now, Colautti and others have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the brothers clean, restore, and eventually move back into their home. The goal is to raise $60,000.
The immediate needs are practical, such as coveralls, respirator masks, work gloves and boots, and — critically — a dumpster to begin removing debris from the home. Due to widespread flooding from the recent ice storm, dumpsters are in short supply across Orillia.
“We need to get everything out of the house before they can begin cleanup,” said Colautti. “They’re willing to do the work — they just need the tools to do it safely.”
Despite the immense loss, the brothers remain resilient.
“Gary told me today, ‘We still have something — we still have hope,’” said Colautti. “They’re optimistic, they’re funny, and they’re strong. But you can see the toll this is taking. They’re exhausted, and they need our help.”
Colautti is working with neighbours to post signs around the community with the GoFundMe information, and says they’re open to donations of materials — drywall, lumber, and anything that could help rebuild the interior of the home.
“They’ve helped everyone on this street at some point,” she said. “Now it’s time for us to help them.”