‘She was really making progress’: mother of three who died in Selkirk house fire mourned

The woman who died in a Selkirk house fire was a 29-year-old mother of three who would do anything for her children, her mother said.

Cheryl Wirch said her daughter, Raven Lana Prince, died of smoke inhalation after a fire on Clandeboye Avenue in the Manitoba city at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday.

A neighbour called Wirch, who lived in the house with Prince and two of her children, but was out of town for the weekend.

“She said: ‘Cheryl, your house is on fire’ and I said ‘Oh my God! Where are the boys?’ and she said: ‘Don’t worry. I have them, but we can’t find Raven,’” said Wirch, noting fire crews were on scene quickly.

“They got there right away, but it wasn’t enough time, because they told me she just didn’t wake up,” said Wirch.

Prince was declared dead shortly after being taken to hospital, RCMP previously said.

Prince struggled after her sister’s death by suicide in 2009, and the seizure of her children following a bad relationship in 2019, her mother said.

Wirch said Prince was sober at the time of the fire and may have fallen asleep while cooking dinner due to a slow-release medication helping in her recovery.

“She was really making progress,” she said. Adding later: “She really wanted to do this.”

The mourning mother said while her daughter had struggles, she never caused harm to anyone and desperately wanted to be with her boys and in their lives.

“She would do anything for them, she just loved her kids,” Wirch said, noting Prince would have been beaming with pride at her son’s Grade 5 graduation Tuesday.

The fire remains under investigation, RCMP said. Wirch said she was told the fire appears to have started in the kitchen.

The house is uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage and an online fundraiser was launched to help the family. They did not have insurance on the house.

Wirch is also asking for prayers.

“Because I don’t know how I’m going to get through this,” she said.

She is happy that she was able to tell her daughter she loved her and that she was proud of her before she died.

“She hugged me and said: ‘I love you too, mom. Thank you,’” said Wirch, fighting back tears. “That’s the last words I said to her.’”

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca