Noel family recovering from devastating fire

By Jennifer Hoegg

The Hants Journal/NovaNewsNow.com

A week after losing their home to fire, a Noel family waits for their luck to turn. Bruce Doucette, his wife, parents, brother, brother’s fiancée and seven children have been staying in Mt. Uniacke and Bedford since the March 20 blaze.

Doucette says it was hard to wait through the Easter long weekend, but the family’s insurance claims are now in process; ”the balls are rolling now.”

A smoke alarm alerted the sleeping family just after midnight on the night of the fire, Doucette said. “I heard it go off and I jumped up. When I opened the door I could see the smoke, but it wasn’t really bad, bad. I hollered ‘Fire! Get out! Get out!’”

Thanks to his quick action, all 13 members of the family were out of the century-old farmhouse within moments. Once safe at a neighbour’s home, thoughts turned to the livestock. “My brother and I came back and got all the animals out. The smoke was so bad you could barely see.”

All of the family’s animals were saved. Nine horses, nine goats, one dog, many ducks and chickens remain on the property. The brothers return daily to care for them. Because of cold temperatures, three Chihuahuas are staying with a foster family.

Bad Luck

The fire was just one stroke of recent bad luck for the Doucettes. Bruce, his brother and brother’s fiancée were recently laid off from a Kennetcook lumber mill. Doucette’s father commutes to Halifax for work.

A few days after the fire, intruders fatally injured a pet dog sleeping in a garage.

Doucette suspects the culprits were after some valuable equipment stored in the building, but he’s far more upset about the dog than any robber.

The Staffordshire terrier-Lab mix was “more a family member than a dog,” he said. “I would have rather lost the generator than Bruiser; he was just a big baby”

Despite their recent misfortunes, the Doucette’s are certain Noel is the home for them.

The Halifax natives moved to Noel two years ago, after Doucette bought two horses. “We did it backwards -- most people buy a house and then buy horses. We were renting a house and barn, and decided to start looking for a house.” Spotting the Noel farm online, the group decided to move. “We all went in together on a mortgage and moved there together,” Doucette said.

Those two horses were followed by many other animals, most of them rescued by Doucette’s mother. Caring for the hobby farm is a great deal of labour, but the family enjoys the work.

Strengthened confidence

Community response to the family’s plight has strengthened their confidence in Noel, Doucette noted.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “We’ve only lived here two years. We don’t know everyone. The way they’ve shown up, you would think they were family. The night of the fire, four in the morning, people were collecting donations.”

Along with diapers and clothing, Easter goodies for the two couples’ children, ages six weeks to six years, poured in. “There was more stuff than they would have had! It took their minds off of what happened.”

Local Red Cross volunteers and Noel United Church Minister Linda Winton have been especially kind, Doucette said.

Donations have come from beyond the Noel area, too. And, when told the baby’s car seat was lost in the blaze, a CTV reporter covering the fire donated a replacement. “The way everyone is chipping in, it’s amazing.”

Doucette is particularly grateful for local firefighters’ efforts. Response was quick to the midnight fire.

“It seemed like it took forever,” he said. “But after the call was made, it was maybe 10 minutes. Maybe 15.”

In all, 40 volunteer firefighters from seven departments helped fight the fire. “They deserve the biggest thanks of all. They saved the barn; they saved the animals.”

As the family heals from the traumatic event, they are looking ahead to the future.

“We’re all getting better day to day,” Doucette said, adding that they are determined to rebuild on the property “one way or another. It’s one step at a time.”

Any one wanting to make donations to the Doucettes can contact Rev. Linda Winton 369-2175 or Carla 256-4901.