It was a sad Mother's Day for a popular film industry couple in Britannia Beach, but the tight-knit community and film friends have rallied around them.
At about dinnertime May 12, the Britannia Volunteer Fire Department arrived to find a fully involved fire at the home of Maja and Jeff Aro on Goat Ridge Drive.
The fire department had two fire trucks and 17 firefighters battling the blaze for about seven hours, though no assistance was required from neighbouring fire departments, according to Fire Chief David Rittberg.
The couple are well known and beloved in the film industry, according to a GoFundMe page set up by friend Robert Compton who described them as "the strongest people in the film industry and community."
The page states that the couple's cat Ninja has been missing since the fire.
The pair are stunt co-ordinators who run Sea to Sky Stunts.
Sabrina Furminger, editor in chief of YVR Screen Scene, also took to Twitter about the house and the couple.
“Last week, Jeff & Maja’s Britannia Beach home was featured in a lightsaber video that was viewed millions of times & retweeted by @HamillHimself; this week, their beautiful home is no more – but The Force is strong with the Aros. Let’s help them rebuid,” she wrote.
Jeff is nominated for Leo Awards for his stunt work on the shows Colony and Lost In Space. The couple are both nominated for their work on The Man In The High Castle.
"They are generous, kind and beyond hard working," Compton added on the online fundraising page, "A helping hand for The Aros.”
More than $7,000 was raised in the first four hours after the campaign was launched.
Two of the best damn people I know, and part of our High Castle family, lost their home to fire last night.
— Chelah Horsdal (@chelahhorsdal) May 13, 2019
Git'er Done. https://t.co/UgvCrp6QZ1
The Britannia community also came out in force to help firefighters battle the blaze.
"Many community members assisted with help moving [air] tanks, hose, etc up and down the steep driveway and freed up our fire department members for fire ground operations," said Fire Chief Rittberg.
The fire is believed to have started in materials stored underneath an outside deck. It spread quickly to the walls, interior and roof of the home, Rittberg told The Chief.
**Please note, this story has been updated since it was first posted as new information became available.
