SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Still in shock, Mildred Hall School kindergarten teacher Courtney Jung said her memories of the morning a fire burned more than $800,000 of damage on its path through her Glick Court home Friday are still a bit hazy.
Axel and Courtney Jung stand in front of their home on Glick Court. It was virtually destroyed by a fire last Friday morning. The Jungs say they are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support to them from Yellowknifers, including more than $15,000 on a fund raising website. - Walter Strong/NNSL photo |
"First the doorbell was ringing, then there was pounding on the door," she said. "My husband answered and asked the woman if she was in distress, and she said 'No, you are! Your house is on fire!'"
The pounding at the door of the home she and her husband purchased last June was Kelli Snyder, a Glick Court neighbour who noticed the fire and woke them up.
She and her husband left but Jung said there were some irreplaceable items she went back inside to take with her.
"We got out but then I went back to to retrieve some of my mom's belongings. She died when I was four and I only have a few things to remember her by," she said.
"I grabbed some photos, some of her clothes and stuffed animals. Then my husband said if I didn't leave, he was going to put me over his shoulder and carry me out. That's when I finally left."
The fire was contained in the walls preventing the Jungs from realizing its presence before Snyder made them aware of the situation.
"I remember the dog crying about 4 a.m. Then my husband, who works nights, got home about 5:30 and he noticed the dog acting unsettled," she said.
"But we both just went back to bed. I know now that the dog was probably smelling the smoke."
It wasn't until firefighters opened up those walls to get at the flames that it spread to the rest of the home.
The next day, Jung said they were allowed to enter the home but only at their own risk.
"Everything has either water, ice, smoke or fire damage. We took some stuff out but we've yet to see exactly how badly it's all damaged," she said.
"We're working with an insurance adjuster from the south.
"I'm a little concerned about that process having spoken to some people."
She had the entire home inspected before buying it and said she and her husband are a little perplexed about a faulty chimney being named the cause, said Jung.
Nonetheless, she said that her first emotion is relief that no one, including their pets, was hurt or killed.
As well, she said both she and her husband have been overwhelmed by the community, which has raised more than $15,000 to help the couple.
"We don't have family here but our friends and people we don't even know have been so generous," she said. "We're the kind of people who don't like to ask for help. We like to do things on our own.
"But in a situation like this, we realize we need the help. It makes me proud to be a Yellowknifer. It's very humbling."
Jung said they've been staying at the First Air crew house used by out-of-town employees. Her husband, Axel, is an aircraft maintenance engineer for First Air.
"But we still need to find a furnished place because we obviously don't have any furniture," she said, adding that potential leads have come forward with potential landlords expressing a willingness to overlook rules that would keep the couple from
bringing their pets.
