Members of a Japanese drumming group in Ontario are picking up the pieces after an electrical fire destroyed over a dozen drums.
On Friday, July 8, an electrical fire started in the basement of the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple, destroying tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
Taiko drumming communities from many other states have offered to help the group by giving them space to practice and donating some of their own drums.
The local group says the drums the fire burned that day were more than musical instruments, they were sacred.
"The Japanese believe that spirits live in the drums," said Taeko D'Andrea. "So we consider them sort of as a sacred thing. So when you see all the hides burned and inside the barrel, it's just heartbreaking."
The group currently has a GoFundMe and hopes to have a thank you performance when they get enough equipment to perform again.
