Smiths Falls community rallies around local family after devastating house fire

A young family in Smiths Falls is receiving an outpouring of support from friends, neighbours and strangers alike after a devastating fire destroyed the home they had worked so hard to build.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Kim and Tyler Burns and their two young sons, Waylon and Kayce, as they begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives following a fire that claimed their home on July 3, 2026.

The campaign, created by family friend and former co-worker Jana Mossip, says the fire unfolded in a matter of minutes after what has started as an ordinary morning.

According to the fundraiser, Kim left home around 8 a.m. to drop her children at daycare before heading to work. About 30 minutes later, one of Tyler’s employees arrived at the property to pick up materials for a job when he discovered the family’s garage completely engulfed in flames.

Thankfully, the family, including their dog, Poppy, escaped the fire without injury. Despite emergency response efforts, the home has been deemed a total loss and the family is now staying with relatives while they work through the devastating aftermath.

The fundraiser describes the home as the place where the couple built not only a house, but a life together.

“It was the house they worked so hard to build, start their family in, and a place where so many memories were made,” organizer Jana wrote on the GoFundMe page.

The campaign aims to ease some of the financial pressure the family faces in the weeks and months ahead.

While the Burns’ family has insurance, any community donations will help cover expenses that arise before insurance claims are settled, including lost wages while Kim and Tyler take time away from work. The family will also need basics such as clothing, groceries, toys and other necessities for their young children, as well as potential rebuilding costs that may not be covered by insurance.

At the time of publication, the fundraiser has raised over $3,600 of their $5,500 goal.