'That's the anchor of the whole family': home in 100 Mile House destroyed by wildfire

A home in 100 Mile House where acarmechanic ran his shop and where three generations of family members once gatheredto celebrate holidays has been destroyed by wildfire.

Matthew Smith, the son-in-law of mechanic Stan Bandsma, told Daybreak South host Chris Walker the family is devastated at the loss. Smith and his brother are married to Bandsma'stwo daughters. Between them,theyhave seven children ranging in ages from one to 10 years old.

Smith said the childrenhave happy memories of their grandparents' home.

"The house was a very involved part of their life," Smith said. "They would stay the night there all the time. They had playhouses for the kids, they had all sort of toys [there]," he said.

"They're pretty devastated, that's for sure."

Smith said he learned the house had been destroyed after he received photographs of the charred home from an unidentified person who is photographing the devastation in 100 Mile House.

He said the home and property burned to the ground, but he was able to identify the home's foundation from the photographs sent to him.

"It's a place that we've gone to for every Thanksgiving, Christmas. It's the place the kids really grew up [in] because I build homes and we move around a lot, so that's the anchor of the whole family," Smith said.

Smith saidBandsmahas lived in thehouse for 20 years. Hisfather-in-law's mechanic shop held toolshe had collected overa 40-year career.

Bandsmanow facesuncertainty about where he and his family will go and whether hewill start another mechanic shop.

"Stan, he doesn't even really like to think about that right now. It sends his head spinning with decisions he's got to make."

Listen to the interview with Matthew Smith on CBC'sDaybreak South:

With files from Daybreak South