Fire causes major damage to Kitchener home
KITCHENER — A fire that tore through a Kitchener home is estimated to have caused damage in excess of $150,000.
The Kitchener Fire Department was called to the house on Pattandon Avenue, near Borden Parkway and Mill Street, at 8:40 a.m. on Tuesday.
“When crews arrived on scene, they found the back of the house, the back shed and a back pergola, and others things in the backyard, all well involved with fire,” said Assistant Platoon Chief Andy O’Reilly.
The fire is believed to have started outside of the two-storey home, although a cause has not yet been determined.
All occupants — one woman and two dogs — were able to get out safely.
“She was alerted to the fire when it breached the house and set off a smoke alarm,” O’Reilly said.
Homeowner Syd Turner, who wasn’t home at the time of the blaze, was speaking to fire investigators outside the house on Tuesday afternoon.
He said his wife was home when the fire broke out. The couple has lived on the street for nearly 42 years.
“It’s good the smoke detectors sounded and she heard them and got out,” he said.
“I just want to thank all the neighbours and all the firefighters ... and police.”
Turner said he’s also grateful to a man who was doing construction across the street at the time of the fire.
“He saw the smoke and stuff and went to the door — my wife was coming out, the dogs were coming out. He grabbed the dogs and he moved the cars (out of the driveway),” he said.
The fire is not considered suspicious.