Cat dies, 3 displaced in Cedar Street house fire
A cat died, and three people were displaced after a house fire on Cedar Street sent heavy smoke into the air.
Deputy Chief of Operations Keith Guptill said firefighters were called at 10:58 a.m. on Wednesday for what was first reported as a porch or deck fire.
As crews left their stations, they saw a large plume of black smoke, which signalled a much larger fire than the initial report suggested.
An extra team was called in, bringing the response to 22 firefighters and three chief officers.
Guptill said the close spacing of the neighbouring homes made protecting both sides challenging.
“We also want to protect the exposures on both the right-hand and left-hand side of that home, and that was pretty challenging,” Guptill said.
Some siding on both properties melted from the heat.
Firefighters used a large water stream and a 2.5‑inch hose line to knock down the flames and heavy smoke before moving inside.
Guptill said the heavy black smoke came from the materials burning on the outside of the home.
“Then of course it went right to the roof right off the bat, which would be asphalt shingles, and because they’re tar and asphalt, they light up and make [the smoke] very black,” Guptill said.
Crews were on scene for about two and a half to three hours, checking for fire extension throughout the home.
Guptill said paramedics assessed the three residents, and one person suffered minor scrapes while escaping.
One cat died in the fire, and another was rescued.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined.
