FIRE SERVICES Fatal mobile home fire investigated
An investigation into the cause of a weekend fatal house fire in Hants County is underway.
As heavy snow blanketed Hants County over the supper hour Feb. 25, first responders rushed to the scene of a house on fire in St. Croix.
Ryan Richard, Brooklyn’s fire chief, said firefighters were paged out around 5:36 p.m. to a working structure fire at a mobile home on Davis Road.
“Fire was venting out the roof and windows,” said Richard.
“Bystanders told me that there possibly was a gentleman inside with mobility issues. He did not drive so there was no vehicle in the yard.”
Fire crews immediately made entry to the mobile home, which had a basement as well as an addition built on.
“They made a quick, aggressive interior search and (fire) attack,” said Richard.
“When more apparatus arrived, more crews were sent in to assist with the search and fire suppression.”
Auto and mutual aid was dispatched, with firefighters from Windsor, Hantsport, Wolfville, and
Greenwich providing on scene coverage and Summerville and New Minas providing stand by coverage.
RCMP officers, EHS personnel, and employees with Nova Scotia Power and the provincial department of public works were also called to the scene.
Sgt. Angela Corscadden, with the Nova Scotia RCMP, confirmed shortly after 9:30 p.m. that night that there was a fatality in the home.
“Unfortunately, they have confirmed one fatality at the scene of that fire,” said Corscadden.
Richard, when reached Saturday morning, said they wrapped up the fire call around midnight. He was heading back to the property Feb. 26 to assist the fire marshal, medical examiner and RCMP with an investigation. He said it appeared the fire had started in the living room.
A press release issued by the RCMP Saturday afternoon indicated the fire was not believed to be suspicious.
Richard said the cold temperatures and snowy conditions made responding to the call challenging.
“The conditions at the scene were extremely slippery,” said Richard, noting breathing apparatus and vehicles were “freezing up.”
No injuries to firefighters were reported.
“Overall, operations went well in very sad circumstances.”