‘She just screamed and screamed for him’: B.C. family loses son with special needs in tragic fire

Heartbreaking details are emerging about a fire in Langley that claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy Wednesday.

A Langley, B.C., family is grieving the heartbreaking loss of a 15-year-old boy with special needs after fire swept through their home.

“It’s like a nightmare,” said Lucas Stadnyk. “You’re kind of still in shock.”

Stadnyk said he had just left for work Wednesday morning when a blaze broke out in his stepson Logan Williams’ bedroom.

Stadnyk’s wife tried desperately to find Williams after hearing the smoke detector go off.

“She opened the door (to his room) and she said it was just an inferno, there was smoke and you couldn’t see anything,” he recalled.

“It was just so hot, she couldn’t go in there at all, and she just screamed and screamed for him, and she just knew she had to get the other kids out.”

There were five children in the house at the time, the youngest just three years old.

Once the other kids were safe, Williams’ mom and a tenant tried again to find him.

“They tried to break the glass into his bedroom and they couldn’t,” said an emotional Stadnyk, wiping away tears.

He said his stepson, who was autistic and non-verbal, would not have cried out for help when afraid.

The teen’s body was later found in a bathroom.

Stadnyk said Williams had somewhat of an obsession with electric sockets and cords.

“We think possibly he might have done something in his room that started the fire and when he realized he was in over his head, he went and hid in another room,” said Stadnyk.

Langley RCMP have said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but criminality was not involved.

“We are working with the B.C. Coroners Service and the Langley Township firefighters to determine the cause of this fatal fire,” said Sgt. Zynal Sharoom.

Neighbour Natasha Mara said the fire “happened really fast and got large pretty fast — and within a few minutes, everyone was here, all the first responders.”

Mara, who has two young girls of her own, said she was deeply saddened by the loss.

“It’s the family I just feel for. Losing a child, I just can’t imagine,” she said as she fought back tears.

Meanwhile, Williams’ young siblings are still trying to understand what has happened to their big brother.

“The little kids are asking where he is,” said Stadnyk, wiping away tears.

An online fundraiser has been launched to try to help the family, who are also now homeless.

While they had insurance for their house, they did not have content insurance and have lost all their belongings.

“I guess for now we’re going to try and find a trailer to live out of for a year,” he said.

A devastated Stadnyk is urging parents of children with special needs to ensure their kids get all the help they need, and “to follow up on any behaviours that could be dangerous.”

The tearful stepdad also reminded parents to hold their children close.