Charred remains are all that’s left of Tim Michalchuk and Shannon Dickson’s Hagensborg home. Just one day after Tim returned from his “Million Steps for MS” walk for his wife, their family home burned to the ground.
The property was shared by Tim and Shannon’s young family, which includes their young son and daughter Peter and Mave, and their adult children; two daughters and a young granddaughter.
Dickson said the fire started in the trailer located behind theirs, which is occupied by their daughters and granddaughter.
“The fire started in the front corner of my daughters trailer situated behind our house, in their living room. I walked from my dining room to the kitchen and saw the flames,” Shannon explained. “I yelled to the girls and Chelsea ran out yelling. Tim ran in our house thinking it was our place, but I told him it was the trailer. By the time I got to the trailer the living room, kitchen and Heather’s bedroom were engulfed in flames.”
The fire has dealt a devastating blow to a family already struggling with the strain of Shannon’s MS. Nothing was salvageable from the flames, as it spread so quickly the family felt fortunate to escape with their lives. They lost almost all of their possessions save a few sentimental items, and some of their beloved pets.
“The girl's trailer was fully engulfed within 10 minutes. It was about 30 to 45 minutes before our house was engulfed and rescuing things was not an option,” said Dickson. “Mave and Peter lots all their toys and clothing, I guess we all did.”
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help, and several benefits are being held in the community including Bingos, a music night, and muffin sales at the elementary school. The family is still in need of basic items such as clothing and household goods. You can find out more on their GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/kehkkd4k or look on Facebook under “A Million Steps” or “Tim and Shannon House Fire Support.”