MACOUN — A fierce overnight blaze consumed a home in Macoun, leaving a family displaced and firefighters battling tough conditions into the morning.
"We're not sure of the origin of the fire yet or what the cause of it is," said Laverne Hockey, fire chief of the Midale/Cymri Fire and Rescue & First Responders. "When we got a call around eight o'clock to come to [the fire], it was a garage fire to start with, but by the time we got to the hall and a few minutes later, it had already spread to the house."
The fire, which began on the evening of Dec. 8, rapidly engulfed the home.
"When we got here, the garage was fully involved in flames and quite a bit of the house was already on fire," Hockey explained.
With 11 members of Midale/Cymri Fire Rescue responding, mutual aid was called in from Estevan at about 8:30 p.m. The Estevan Fire Rescue Service sent an engine and a tanker to assist the Midale/Cymri fire department. Estevan crews were on scene throughout the night as well.
Efforts to extinguish the fire were complicated by challenging conditions. Firefighters struggled at times to maintain a water supply in the winter weather.
"We had a few times we ran out of water," Hockey said, noting that Estevan's tanker and local resources helped them push through.
"And it was a wooden basement," Hockey said. "So, it had started burning underneath the floor. … We weren't able to save much of the house because it was a wooden basement, and the floor got so weak that we couldn't walk on it. And then it had tin on the roof, which made it difficult to get any water in from the top down.
"But we finally got a trackhoe out in the morning at eight or nine o'clock. The trackhoe came out from Turnbull's and we pulled a bunch of the tin out of the basement that had already collapsed in and put that part of the fire out," Hockey explained.
Fortunately, all residents escaped without injury, but the fire's rapid progression left little to be salvaged.
"All the firefighters, the family got out safe and sound with their pets," Hockey confirmed, noting that the house was a loss.
Despite the devastation, the fire did not spread to nearby structures.
"There was another garage just a few feet away, but the wind was in our favour for most of the night," Hockey said.
Fire crews finally extinguished the last of the flames by 11 a.m. on Dec. 9.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Reflecting on the incident, Hockey expressed sympathy for the displaced family. "Just feel sorry for the family and wish them all the best," he said.
The Village of Macoun made a post on Facebook Monday morning, calling for help for the Loewen family.
"Macoun and surrounding area, we need your help," the post says.
"Cody, Chantelle, Kensley and Brexley were devastated by fire last night. The Loewen family is part of our community here in Macoun and we would like to help out any way we can. We are asking for immediate assistance to gather clothing for the family. Currently looking for youth size 10-12 for the girls, ladies' medium for Chantelle and men's 1XL-2XL for Cody. Clothing donations can be dropped off at the Macoun school, Macoun Co-op and Macoun village office.
"Cash donations are also being collected to allow this family to focus on healing while they transition to their new normal until their home can be rebuilt. E-transfers can be sent to [email protected]. Cash and cheques can also be dropped off at the village office or Macoun Co-op."
