Financial support is pouring in for a family severely burned in a fire pit mishap in Port Burwell.
Since it was launched on Tuesday, a GoFundMe campaign for Jake and Tina Hiebert and their children has raised nearly $27,000.
Five members of the young family were badly hurt just before 7 p.m. on Monday when the backyard bonfire they were having at a home on Vienna Line took a turn for the worse.
Emergency crews arrived on scene to find a seven-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy, and a one-year-old girl suffering from life-threatening injuries. A 33-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman had injuries described as “serious.” All five remained in hospital as of Wednesday morning.
Elgin OPP have not identified the individuals, other than to confirm they are related and lived at the home where the incident occurred. However, the family friend who created the online fundraiser named them as members of the Hiebert family.
“I’m starting this in hopes that we can help Jake and Tina financially as he won’t be able to work for a while,” Eva Enns wrote on the GoFundMe page.
She went on to explain the accident was caused by an exploding jerry can filled with diesel fuel – a claim that has not been confirmed by investigators.
“We are currently awaiting the results from the Office of the Fire Marshal’s investigation to determine the cause. At this time I cannot confirm whether an accelerant was used or not,” said Constable Troy Carlson.
The Hieberts have two other children who were not hurt in the incident.
