Ray Scott says he considers himself and his wife Suzanne extremely lucky to have escaped unhurt when their east Sundre home was recently destroyed by fire.
“We barely got out, I can tell you that,” Scott said during a tour of the burned-out home last week. “My wife was still on the phone (with 911) when the upstairs was filling with smoke. I could just see her shadow in the smoke and I hollered at her to get out. I bet it wasn't three minutes. It really went fast.”
He explained that the fire started moments after he lit the wood burning stove in the home.
“Our TV went out and our dish is sitting right beside the chimney. She (Suzanne) went out to look and saw the roof was on fire,” he said.
The fire, which he said spread with alarming speed, causes very extensive damage to the home, with large gapping holes burned through the roof of both the home and the attached garage.
The couple has lived in the residence for the past 17 years.
The stress and strain of the couple's close call unfortunately lead to a medical emergency for Suzanne, which landed her in hospital for a couple days, he said.
“She is asthmatic and that's kind of what set it off, being the asthma and all the smoke,” he said. “I took her in (to hospital) the next night because she couldn't breathe.”
The Canadian Red Cross provided support to the Scotts in the days immediately following the blaze, with a volunteer team providing shelter, emergency clothing, hygiene kits and blankets.
“That was really nice, all the help,” he said.
Since the March 28 fire the support from neighbours and other community members have been very heartening, he said.
“The community has been great. They have come together for us,” he said.
He commended the quick and very professional action of firefighters and other emergency personnel.
“Once they got here they did an awesome job,” he said.
With their home heavily damaged and uninhabitable, the couple has found temporary accommodations just west of town.
“I've rented my son's place. He had a renter scheduled to move in on the first of April and when he found this out he told the guy not to move in. At least it's a place to hang our hats,” he said.
Sundre fire chief Marty Butts says the cause of the blaze has been confirmed to be a chimney fire, with the investigation by the fire department now concluded.
