‘Mowing the grass turned into flames’: Family fundraising after Osoyoos, B.C., fire that destroyed home

The remains of the Richard and Colleen Baptiste's home in Osoyoos, B.C., is seen in a GoFundMe image.

An online fundraiser has been set up for an Osoyoos, B.C., couple who lost their home in a fire that was apparently caused by a lawnmowing mishap.

The GoFundMe for Richard and Colleen Baptiste, set up by their children, describes the incident as a “complete freak accident.”

“A spark from mowing the grass turned into flames,” it reads.

The RCMP previously said the fire erupted Thursday afternoon at a property at the north end of Osoyoos Lake.

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, the flames spread across approximately 2.4 hectares before crews were able to get it under control.

The family said the home where they have lived since 1989 was destroyed, along with all of the Baptistes’ belongings – “clothing, daily essentials, original photos, artwork, cherished keepsakes, irreplaceable cultural and family belongings, and the tools they used for sewing, hunting, and building a life together.”

“Losing it all in minutes has been heartbreaking,” the fundraiser reads. “Insurance will help eventually, but it could take weeks or longer before further assistance comes through due to paperwork and processing times.”

CTV News has reached out to the organizers for more information. The fundraiser had collected more than $13,000 by Monday morning.

“A couple vehicles” on the property were also damaged, according to the RCMP, but firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to any neighbouring homes.