A view of the fire on Jan. 2, 2025. (gofundme)

By Nigel Maxwell

Community support

Community rallies around MacDowall family after devastating house fire

Jan 8, 2026 | 1:28 PM

Nearly a week after a fire destroyed a family’s home in MacDowall, support continues to pour in from the surrounding community.

As of Thursday, an online fundraiser has raised over $10,000.

Andrey Ginchak and his wife have seven children who range in age from 4 to 19 years old. Acknowledging the tremendous loss, he told paNOW he is very grateful for the support they have received. One of the biggest contributors has been the local Slavic Gospel Church.

The fire occurred on the afternoon of Jan. 2. Both Prince Albert RCMP and the MacDowall Volunteer Fire Department responded to the acreage located just outside the small hamlet.

There were no injuries, however, both the house and garage were destroyed, and most of the family’s belongings.

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Ginchak explained the fire originated from a car that was parked in the garage. It’s believed there was some sort of issue with the engine. While he tried his best to extinguish the flames, they spread quickly to the nearby house.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

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