Two fires in as many days in the Hills have left an older couple homeless and a family without their garage.
The first blaze broke out at 10 Ch. Soleil just before 6 p.m. Dec. 7 when the homeowner was doing some grinding work in the garage, according to the La Pêche Fire Department. When fire crews arrived, the garage was engulfed in flames, but their quick response enabled them to get it under control immediately and save the couple’s home from catching fire. Firefighters estimated the blaze caused $100,000 in damage, as the garage is a total loss. Nobody was injured in the blaze.
A day later, on Dec. 8, smoke and flames could be seen from the Hwy 5 in Farm Point, as the home at 70 Ch. Carman caught fire around 5:16 a.m. Chelsea Fire Chief Charles
Éthier told the Low Down that a passerby called 9-11 and said the elderly couple who lived there managed to escape the blaze unharmed. Éthier said it took fire crews about an hour-and-a-half to quell the flames. He said the probable cause was a plastic container full of ashes that were left on the couple’s deck. The home is a total loss, with damages estimated at $188,500, according to the Chelsea Fire Department.