Red Cross, employer help Dunstaffnage couple after fire

The Canadian Red Cross and a P.E.I. business are assisting a young couple whose home was destroyed by a fire late Thursday afternoon.

The two people were not home at the time of the blaze in Dunstaffnage but the home and the couple’s belongings were destroyed.

One of the couple’s employers has stepped in to cover hotel accommodations for a few days, while disaster volunteers with the Red Cross also helped with emergency purchases of clothing, food and other essentials. A patrolling RCMP officer spotted the fire around 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the twostorey house, located at 13494 St. Peter’s Rd.

The North Shore Fire Department, along with Charlottetown Station 2 and the East River Fire Department responded to the call.

One RCMP officer was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for smoke inhalation.

It took until about 6 p.m. to get the fire under control. There were no adjacent structures to the home.