LETHBRIDGE -- It was anything but a relaxing Sunday for the Klassen family, who lost their home and all their belongings in a west Lethbridge house fire.
The blaze started around 2:30 p.m. and spread through the interior of the house as well as the back.
Gary Klassen, along with his wife Lovejoy and their children, Nakiesha and Chase, were out of the home for only half an hour before coming back and finding it full of smoke.
Lovejoy acted quickly and ran inside to get their downstairs roommate, Colin Gray, out safely.
"She yelled, 'Come on, get up, get up', and I ran out the top stairs and there was smoke everywhere," said Gray.
Gary also ran in to save some belongings from a bedroom, but wasn't able to salvage much according to Lovejoy.
"We lost everything," she told CTV. "The only thing we have is what we're wearing right now."
The fire department responded quickly and, despite the intense winds, were able to contain the blaze from spreading to nearby homes.
"Within 10 minutes, the fire crew was all there, ready, and the house was going up and flames were starting to go out of the roof," said Lovejoy.
It is suspected the fire started due to an electrical issue in the kitchen but investigators say they're still working to identify the source.
"We're still under investigation at the time," said Doug Broadhead, fire prevention officer with the Lethbridge Fire Department.
"We just need to contact the owner and ask him some more questions."
The estimated cost of the damages to the structure is expected to be around $300,000 and that's not including any of the family's belongings.
Despite losing everything, the Klassens say they couldn't be more thankful for all the help they've received so far.
"I'm so grateful to all the people around us. Neighbors, friends, the Red Cross and especially to the firefighters," said Lovejoy. "They came fast, as fast as they can."
When asked about how they're feeling after losing their possessions, the Klassens said they're just thankful to all be together.
"We're safe, no lives were harmed, that's what's important. Material possessions can be replaced, lives can't," said Lovejoy.
Thanks to the Red Cross the family will stay at the Sandman Hotel for three days while they find another place to live, and have meals covered during their stay.
A GoFundMe has been set up by friends to help the family in their time of need.
Tuesday, the City of Lethbridge said investigators had determined the cause of fire to be an accidental kitchen fire, that spread quickly to the dining room and living room.
Furthermore, winds were gusting up to 85 km/h at the time of the fire, which made it spread faster.
Fire crews were able to confine damage to a single structure.
