New Glasgow house fire deemed accidental

A house fire that left two men homeless is not considered suspicious, says New Glasgow Fire Department Chief Doug Dort.

Dort said the cause of the house fire on Summer Street at 2 p.m. Wednesday has been ruled as accidental. He said flames were coming through the roof of the home before anyone noticed it and called the fire department. No one was home at the time of the fire.

New Glasgow firefighters were backed by members from Stellarton while Trenton remained on standby in the hall. Nova Scotia Power, Emergency Health Services, New Glasgow Regional Police and RCMP also responded.

Dort said the extreme weather conditions made fighting the fire difficult for his members because the cold air made it hard to breathe and this led to early exhaustion. Icy conditions also caused it to be slippery and a portion of East River Road had to be blocked off for more than an hour so fire hoses could be hooked up to hydrant in another location, other than Summer Street, and run across East River Road.

One of the home’s residents said Thursday he is grateful to the community for its generosity in their time of need. Donations are being accepted Shenanigans Pub and Eatery in downtown New Glasgow.

“It is less than 24 hours and I haven’t absorbed everything,” said the man, who asked not to be identified. “People are more than generous. I am staying with a friend for a few days and thanks to everyone who helped out already.”