'Everybody’s pulling together': Community reels following death of 10-year-old girl near Brantford

A community is in mourning after a 10-year-old girl was killed earlier this week when flames tore through her family’s camping trailer southeast of Brantford.

The family says they have been overwhelmed by the kindness people have been showing since that tragic day. They are now working to support the rest of the surviving family members as they mourn the loss of 10-year-old Ava Howick.

"I was just basically numb, devastated," said Ava’s great aunt Bonnie Childs.

Flames ripped through a camping trailer in Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation just before 2 a.m. Monday.

Marshall Howick, Norma White-Howick, and four of their children were able to escape, but their daughter Ava didn’t make it out.

"I got a message from my sister-in-law through Facebook so that’s how I found out," said Childs.

Police say Ava was located inside the trailer and pronounced dead at the scene. Her 15-year-old brother remains in hospital.

For Childs, she received the heartbreaking news on her way home from a vacation.

"It was so much and I was so far away," she said. "I couldn’t do anything. I wanted to be home right then [and] I was told about Ava.”

Childs says Ava was a happy child full of life and determination.

"She was an energetic little thing," she said. "She liked to be outside, all of those kids loved to be outside. If they could find the woods to play in, that’s where they would be playing."

Ava Howick, 10, is seen in this undated photo. (Facebook - Bonnie M Howick-Childs)

It is still not clear how this fire began and officials say it could take some time to find answers.

A spokesperson for the Ontario Fire Marshal told CTV News in part, "the investigation into the fire remains ongoing and no cause of fire has been determined at this time."

As the family reels from the loss, they face the reality of funeral costs and finding a new place to live.

Childs says the community has come together to help raise funds and gathering donations.

"Just a lot of people reaching out and sending donations," she said. "Yesterday, my one niece had delivered a whole truck load of toys and clothing."

A statement was also issued by Chief Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation saying in part, "we are all connected, we are all feeling the pain of this tragedy."

They’re also collecting financial donations for the family and say, when the time if right, they will collect clothing and other household items.

"Everybody’s pulling together," said Childs. "Cousins, my cousins, my neighbors, everybody’s pulling together and reaching out."