Massive fire guts Edelweiss home

A massive two-alarm fire engulfed a home in Edelweiss Jan. 13, leaving an elderly Hills couple homeless and everything they owned in smouldering rubble.

According to the La Pêche fire department, the fire started around 2:45 p.m. at 14 Ch. du P’tit Canada, and by the time the Low Down showed up at 3:10 p.m., the entire house was in flames as firefighters quickly moved into action and cops were corralling neighbours to ensure everyone was safely away from the fire.

Fire crews were on scene within minutes of the 9-1-1 call.

It was an intense scene as 13 firetrucks from La Pêche arrived at the blaze, with help from the Val-des-Monts fire department, who provided an additional ladder truck.

It took fire crews close to four hours to quell the fire. By Saturday morning, there were still “hot spots” among the charred rubble.

The heat from the fire could be felt about 50 feet away from the fire, where the Low Down and neighbours were huddled, staying warm and taking photos. Neighbours on the scene said the home went up in flames in a matter of minutes, but added that the elderly couple who lived there managed to make it out before the house was completely engulfed.

“I came out for a smoke, saw the smoke, didn’t even light my smoke, ran back inside to my phone, ran up the street and called 9-1-1,” said neighbour Serge Leger, who was one of the first on the scene. He said he had spotted the owner of the building outside the home and was glad to see that he had made it out safely.

“It went up quickly,” he said. “The poor old man was just sitting at the end of his driveway, just watching it all burn.”

The La Pêche fire department is still investigating the cause of the fire. There were no injuries reported. Damage to the home is estimated at $200,000.

The house is a total loss, according to the fire department.