Guns found in home during fire, two men arrested
Three fires made for a busy weekend for Moncton Fire.
Deputy Chief Keith Guptill says the first fire was on Saturday morning in an attached garage on Foxwood Drive in the north end.
“The call came in at approximately 8 am. When crews arrived, there was smoke and a large amount of flames coming out through the two-car garage. Firefighters brought it under control, probably by around 9 am. They remained on scene for about another hour. There was some smoke damage to the home, but the residents have one of those steel doors that you’re supposed to have between the garage and the house, and it was closed, which saved any further destruction inside the home other than slight smoke,” Guptill explained.
There were 18 firefighters on scene assisting to battle the blaze.
The garage and the hybrid vehicle were badly damaged. Guptill added that the hybrid vehicle was charging at the time, but that is not where the fire originated.
A second fire broke out at a one-storey home on Elmwood Drive at around 10:50 am the same day.
Guptill said that fire was in a home undergoing renovations, “It was just outside the city limits, and because there are no hydrants out that way, we had to call the Dieppe Fire Department to help us move some water. It was a single-family dwelling, but it’s under renovation, so the complete inside of the place was gutted. When our firefighters made entry, there was a lot of smoke, but they didn’t see flames right away. Once they went inside, you could see the fire, but it was literally on the other side of the home. Because everything was gutted, they were able to make easy access to it and put it out quite quickly. Severe damage to the home, though.”
Once again, around 20 firefighters were on scene for around two hours.
On Sunday, a call came in that required the assistance of both Moncton Fire and Codiac RCMP.
Guptill explained they were called to Hows Crescent in the west end of the city at around 2 pm, where they found heavy smoke.
“They didn’t find the fire until they were able to gain entrance to the second floor. There was a lot of damage to the upper floor, and some smoke and water damage to the lower level,” Guptill said.
He added it was challenging for firefighters because it was snowing quite hard, the temperatures were dropping quickly, and it was slippery on the street and the sidewalk.
“It was pretty hectic overall.”
RCMP Corporal Hans Ouellette told our newsroom that two men from Moncton, 60 and 47 years old, were arrested after the Hows Crescent fire.
Firefighters located unsecured and illegal firearms in the residence while battling the blaze.
Ouellette said as of earlier today, no charges had been laid, and the two men remained in custody.
“Members of the public may continue to see police in the Hows Crescent area as they continue their investigation,” Ouellette added.
