12-year-old boy dies in weekend house fire in Manitoba

A Portage a Prairie family is in shock after a 12-year-old boy died in a weekend house fire.

The family of a 12-year-old boy who died in a weekend house fire are shocked and heartbroken as they try to process the unimaginable tragedy.

Clint McIvor said his nephew Alexander Beaulieu Jr. was killed in Sunday’s fire at his family’s Portage la Prairie, Man., home.

“(His parents) are in shock and just so devastated,” McIvor told CTV News.

“All they’re doing is crying.”

According to McIvor, his sister and her husband were home with five of their children when the fire broke out early Sunday morning.

One of the children discovered the blaze first, McIvor said. Beaulieu was trapped in his bedroom off the kitchen, and his family couldn’t free him.

They were eventually forced out by the intensifying flames, escaping through a window, he said.

“His parents are devastated. They’re just very, very, very hurt and lost.”

Manitoba RCMP say they were called to the fire at the 8th Street Northwest home at around 4:40 a.m. They arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames.

The boy’s body was later found inside the home.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

‘The protector’

McIvor described his nephew as a kind boy who loved to play video games and be with his family.

“He was a good boy,” he said.

“He was kind of like the protector of the house, and he would make sure his mom and dad were always sleeping good.”

The family also lost their home and all their belongings. McIvor said they’re currently getting assistance from the Canadian Red Cross. Donations of food, blankets and other necessities are already pouring in, but more is needed.

“They’re starting from scratch,” McIvor explained.

Anyone wishing to donate to the family can contact them by email.