KENTVILLE – No civilians were injured during a midnight house fire on Sutherland Terrace in Kentville that caused extensive damage to two apartments inside the house.
The fire was called in just before midnight on April 10 after it was noticed by one of the building’s tenants. All occupants were able to exit the building before the fire worsened.
Kentville Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene, with New Minas Volunteer Fire Department called automatically for aid.
The Waterville and Greenwich were also called and provided mutual aid to the fire, which had grown to a large size quite quickly, according to Kentville chief Ryan MacEachern, who was the officer in charge at the scene of the structure fire.
“There was heavy fire in the top end of the building, which then extended into the attic,” he said.
“We’re investigating it as we speak, which is routine. We’re working to determine the cause, and are reconstructing some things.”
Two firefighters sustained minor injuries – one had debris fall into his eye, and the other had a minor fall – but were pronounced healthy and released on the spot by EHS on the scene.
The fire was a difficult one to fight, according to MacEachern, due to the house’s large size and full attic floor, meaning the fire had only one way to go, and burned through the roof.
Crews remained inside the house apart from when the aerial ladder pumped water onto the roof, cooling down the house’s temperature so crews could return inside.
The chief estimates crews fought the fire for almost three hours. After wrapping up, one crew was staged for the night to monitor any hotspots and make sure flames were kept extinguished.
MacEachern said the work he saw from his crew impressed him, noting specific training tactics being used during the fire.
“These firefighters train hard and showed us that last night. We saw a lot of good things come through,” he said.
