Family grateful for support as Saskatoon man recovers after apartment fire
A Saskatoon man is recovering in an Edmonton hospital burn unit after he was injured in a fire in his apartment.
Zakk Grant, 30, was airlifted to Edmonton after the April 7 fire in his basement suite on 33rd Street West in Saskatoon.
Zakk has third-degree burns over 40 per cent of his body, his brother Robert Grant said.
"It's going to be months of painful recovery for him," Robert said in an interview with CBC News.
Robert said his family doesn't really know what happened. Zakk had texted their mom that there was a fire, so they know he was conscious at some point, but they think he might have gotten trapped somehow.
Zakk Grant's apartment was a 'total loss' after it burned in a fire on April 7. (Supplied by Robert Grant)
Their mom has travelled to Edmonton to be at Zakk's bedside, which means she has to take time off work and find a place to stay. While she was able to stay at the hospital residence for a week, she doesn't know how long she'll have to be in the city, Robert said.
WATCH | Zakk Grant's brother says he'll need help during long, painful recovery:
Robert started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the costs and said the response has been heartwarming.
"We're extremely grateful for everybody, even just sharing it or saying that they hope he pulls through. It all means a lot," he said.
Any extra money that's raised will go toward helping Zakk in his recovery and replacing his belongings, which were all destroyed in the fire or damaged by water, Robert said.
"Right now, we don't know what life will look like for him afterwards," he said.
Tape covers the windows of the basement apartment where the fire began. (Dan Zakreski/CBC News)
The other 26 occupied units in apartment building were evacuated due to the fire, according to the Saskatoon Fire Department.
The fire damaged pipes in the basement, so utilities couldn't be properly restored right away. Residents were housed in a hotel overnight before returning the next day.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, a fire department spokesperson said on Friday.
