BARRHEAD- A Barrhead area couple with an eight-month-old child are now homeless after a July 20 fire destroyed their home. The good news is there were no injuries due to the blaze.
The Barrhead Regional Fire Services (BRFS) responded to a report of a structure fire at 4:52 p.m. to a fire about 20 minutes southwest of town on Range Road 51.
When they arrived, fire chief Gary Hove said the building, an older mobile home on a basement foundation, was fully engulfed in flames and the structure was starting to collapse.
Fortunately, the young couple, who occupied the home had safely evacuted the building.
"The fire started on the back deck," he said. "She heard a noise and when he went to investigate it, he found that the deck was on fire."
Hove added that it would not take long for a fire to consume an older structure such as the mobile home. Indeed, according to the owner's account, it took less than 15 minutes for the fire to spread from the deck and completely engulf the building.
The department responded with Engine 37, which served as the main attack vehicle, Tender 5 and Tender 34, and Rescue 8 for extra manpower. All totalled 19 firefighters responded to the fire.
The BRFS also received assistance from the RCMP and EMS.
In addition to checking on the residents, EMS ensured that the firefighters were not overextending themselves.
"Even though it feels cooler it was still pretty muggy," Hove said. "And when you and are fighting a fire, if you are in your bunker gear, it is pretty easy to get overheated. EMS is there to monitor firefighter's heart rates and blood pressure and make sure they are normal so they don't risk getting heat exhaustion."
He added the mobile home had a metal roof, which posed a challenge, saying that firefighters had to remove it, allowing the metal to properly avoid reigniting the fire.
Hove also praised fire crews for limiting the fire damage, saying the fire could have spread to several vehicles, structures and vegetation in the immediate vicinity. He added that firefighters were concerned that the fire might spread to a nearby propane tank.
Unfortunately, even though fire crews were able to limit the spread of the fire to the residence itself and an adjacent outbuilding, which was already on fire when firefighters arrived, both structures were severely damaged along with their contents. A nearby fifth wheel and two vehicles also suffered some heat damage.
Firefighters returned to the hall at about 9 p.m.
Because the couple had little time to evacuate, they did not have a chance to save any of their belongings, including basic items such as clothing. Friends of the couple are arranging the collection of needed through the Facebook pages Barrhead Buy and Sell and Barrmart.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
