Petrolia is stepping up to help the family who lost everything in a fire at the local funeral home.

Wednesday night, fire broke out in the second storey apartment at Needham-Jay Funeral Home on Petrolia Line. Petrolia/North Enniskillen Fire Chief Jay Arns says it appears it started in the sunroom of the apartment although an exact cause has not been determined.

Arns estimates the loss at about $400,000.

Needham-Jay assured residents they would continue to offer funeral services. The home also has a location in Wyoming.

While the funeral home is continuing business, one of its directors lived in the apartment. Laura Hodgins, her husband, Jason, and their two children, Peter, 7, and Indy, 1, were left scrambling. All their belongings were destroyed. There is now a community effort to help the family.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to collect money to help with immediate needs. You can find it here:https://www.gofundme.com/f/d77mjj-please-help-if-you-can?member=21296919&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

Laurel Mallioux and Home Hardware in Petrolia are also collecting gift cards for the family including for Walmart, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Food Basics, Dollarama, Mark’s Work Warehouse, Torrid clothing store, and Amazon. They ask that you place them in an envelope with Laura and Jason Hodgins’ name on it. They can be dropped off at Home Hardware.

You can also send an e-gift card to Laura@needhamjay.com.

And today, from 1 pm to 5 pm, Dips Ice Cream will be in the Home Hardware parking lot selling ice cream raising money for the family.