Brampton family raise funeral costs for ‘three little angels’ killed in housefire

Relatives of a Brampton family killed in a housefire this week are asking the community for help covering memorial costs after the tragic blaze.

Just before 2:00 a.m. on Monday (March 28), emergency crews were called to battle a housefire on Conestoga Drive near Sutter Avenue in Brampton.

Firefighters managed to enter the residence through a front window and six people were removed from the home.

Two adults and three children were pronounced dead, while a third adult was transported to hospital in critical condition.

The deceased have been identified as Brampton married couple 28-year-old Nazir Ali, 29-year-old Raven Alisha Ali O’Dea, and their three children Alia Marilyn Ali O’Dea, Jayden Prince Ali O’Dea and Layla Rose Ali O’Dea.

The children were aged 10, 8 and 7.

Family have identified the injured woman as Bonnie O’Dea, mother of Raven and grandmother to Alia, Jayden and Layla. Two other tenants who lived in the basement of the home managed to escape without injuries.

Ali’s cousin Randy Narine is a Brampton firefighter and shared news of the deaths on Twitter.

Family members say they are devastated by the loss and have started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for funeral arrangements and any memorial costs.

“As a family, we are devastated to lose two generations in a blink of an eye,” a family spokesperson said on the fundraising page. “Our homes are broken as we mourn a loss that we can never replace.”

By 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the fundraiser had received over $46,000 in pledges of a $150,000 goal.

As we all make an effort to comprehend what happened, we ask for sometime for us to mourn the loss of these beautiful souls. We will share more information on the funeral services for friends and family to pay their respects in the next few days.https://t.co/yhGSRZ1FQo

— Randy Narine (@RandyNarinee) March 29, 2022

Nazir and Raven are being remembered as “loving, selfless, and empathetic” parents who dedicated their lives to their children. The parents are survived by a combined nine siblings, and family say “their absence will forever be felt in our lives.”

“Our three little angels were their grandparent’s pride and joy. Their smiles would light up the room as their curiosity usually got the best of them,” the fundraiser reads.

Flags at Brampton City Hall were lowered to half-mast on Monday in memory of the family, and Brampton Fire Chief Bill Boyes offered extended condolences to the family and all those impacted by the fire.

The Ali family said they are still working to make sense of what happened, and the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is investigating the cause and circumstances around the fire along with Brampton Fire and Peel Regional Police.

Family thanked the community for all the support and said they will share information on funeral services soon to allow friends and family a chance to pay their respects.

“As we all make an effort to comprehend what happened, we ask for some time for us to mourn the loss of these beautiful souls,” the fundraiser reads.

Thursday’s fatal blaze was the second fire to have claimed the lives of three children in Brampton this year.

In January, brothers Coen, Riley and Alex Bagan Overhold died in a fire on Ellis Dr.

A community group was able to raise more than $214,000 through GoFundMe to support the Overhold family.