A long-time Aldergrove family and their pets are alive because of "totally amazing people" who rushed in to a smoldering home to help them escape.
That's what Dan Armstrong said after neighbors and passersby alerted him and his family to the fire in their home on Saturday morning.
Their older home on 29 Avenue was destroyed in the fire, despite the best efforts of crews with six trucks from Fire Halls #3 and #7.
In a thank you letter to The Aldergrove Star, Dan Armstrong said "…while the house was burning people stopped their cars to run to the house to warn us, as well as neighbours. Banging on doors and screaming, 'Fire, get out of the house,' and then three complete strangers ran into a burning house to help my daughter recover her cats from the house.
"On behalf of myself, my wife, daughter and her husband, I would like to thank them all for their heroic efforts," said Armstrong.
The family is staying in a nearby motel for the time being, while investigators and insurers sort out the situation.