Fire crew battles house fire in sub-zero temperatures

BY KIRK STARRATT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com



Greenwich firefighters had more than flames to contend with as they battled a house fire in sub-zero temperatures Monday night. Chief Randy Schofield said the cold was a challenge as firefighters had to contend with freezing lines and wind chill values in the range of -20 to -25C.

Seven people - five adults and two children - were evacuated from the house, located just west of Hennigar’s Farm Market on Highway 1. Schofield said the fire appears to have started in a faulty flu, traveled up the inside of the outside wall and into the rafters. He said that although the house doesn’t appear ruined from the road, it is.

Schofield said firefighters were able to rescue all four cats from the home. He said he incurred the only injuries reported.

“I fell down a set of steps,” he said. Schofield wasn’t sure of the extent of his injuries, but believes them to be minor bruising.

The call came in around 10:20 p.m. and firefighters remained on the scene for almost three-and-a-half hours. The Wolfville Fire Department provided mutual aid, sending a heavy rescue unit and a pumper to the scene. They assisted with traffic control as well.

The homeowner lives in Ontario, but Schofield said it appears the home was fully insured and the tenants had tenant insurance.

However, everything inside the home was destroyed. There were antiques boarded up in the attic that were ruined and some antiques in the basement incurred water damage.

Greenwich firefighters received another call for assistance during the emergency, this one involving a trash fire at Stage 2 Furniture and Appliances by the railway tracks. However, Schofield said the Port Williams Fire Department handled that.