Krista Miller plays with her pet ferret, Houdini. She feared Houdini was gone forever when her apartment burned recently, causing her to lose almost everything. She had no insurance. A friend has started a crowdfunding campaign to help her out, but Miller said she’s not asking for money – though household items would help when they get a new place to live. (Richard McGuire photo)
Krista Miller lost virtually everything when a fire broke out in her Osoyoos apartment recently.
But, after an intensive search, she managed to find something she treasured most – her pet ferret, Houdini.
Miller, 46, and her roommate were in Penticton when they received a phone call on Aug. 10 informing them that their apartment building on 89th Street was on fire.
She was told that much of the building had burned, which actually wasn’t the case, but virtually everything they had was destroyed by smoke and water damage.
And they had no insurance.
The fire broke out in their unit, but Miller said initial reports that it was caused by something left on the stove were untrue. In fact, she said, it was a wiring problem in the wall behind the stove.
“Underneath the oven the whole floor was burned,” she said. “It was gone. You could see right downstairs, so I knew right away that it couldn’t have been something left on the stove, because the flames would have gone up and not down into the floor.”
The other apartments in the six-plex suffered smoke damage, but Miller’s was the worst hit.
“We lost everything,” she said. “We were able to salvage a few articles of clothing, a few keepsakes, but all of our furniture, our nice king-size bed and everything is gone. It either was burned or too smoke damaged to be saved. Everything from our apartment went into a bin and it’s all in the dump.”
Miller and her roommate, who didn’t wish to be named, are both on disability. She’s had two heart operations and a stroke. Now they’re living in an Osoyoos motel, wondering how they will manage to find money for rent.
“We’re having a tough time,” said Miller, adding that she’s trying to stay positive. “It’s a hard time to find a place in the Okanagan in the summer, even just to keep a roof over our heads.”
But amidst the tragedy and hardship, there was also a blessing – Houdini, the ferret.
“She’s a one-year-old little girl ferret and she is the highlight of the apartment,” said Miller. “We couldn’t find her and we were absolutely devastated.”
After looking around the building for her, and crying a lot, Miller said she pulled up her bootstraps and began a search, even putting up posters.
Her ferret is a very small animal that spends much of its time sleeping. To find her, even if she was still alive, would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.
Finally, at around 4:30 a.m., they found her at the lower playground of Osoyoos Elementary School, curled up and sleeping in one of the giant tires.
“We take her over there all the time to walk her on a leash,” said Miller. “So I guess maybe she followed her scent to where we take her on a daily basis.”
As her name, Houdini, suggests, this is not the first time the ferret has disappeared.
“It’s always a hide and seek game, but this was the biggest one yet,” said Miller. “She’s 2.3 pounds, she’s a tiny little thing.”
With the fire and commotion of firefighters in the building, Miller said she thought Houdini must be dead or gone for good, but she refused to give up. Finding the little ferret again made her day.
Miller regrets not having insurance and admits it was stupid.
“I’ve owned homes all my life and I’ve always had house insurance,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve ever rented. I was really naïve in thinking nothing’s going to happen.”
She said she was even more naïve to assume that any loss wouldn’t be serious because she had so few things.
A friend in Vancouver has started a crowdfunding page on the GoFundMe.com website to help Miller, but as of Monday, only $50 had been raised with one donation.
“It was really sweet of her,” said Miller, adding that she’s leery of crowdfunding websites because some skim off as much as 30 to 40 per cent of what’s donated.
GoFundMe says on its website that it takes a fee of five per cent plus a three per cent processing fee.
Miller, however, said she’s not asking for money.
“I just want people to know that the fire wasn’t our fault and if someone can help in September or October when we need a couch or a loveseat, that would be great,” she said. “It’s not a thing about money for me. It’s more that I need things, like pots, pans and dishes.”
Those wishing to contribute can go to: www.gofundme.com/2jgm6zg.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
