Sackville family loses home, barn in early morning fire

A fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning has destroyed a home and a barn on the outskirts of Sackville.
Fire Chief Keith Guptill said Tuesday that 33 Sackville firefighters with the assistance of 12 members of the Dorchester fire department were called to the 191 Queens Road location at about 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday.
"The fire apparently started in the barn, which was connected to the house by a garage and a woodshed. We tried our best to keep it from travelling forward, but the wind was not working with us, for sure, so we were unable to keep that from happening. Everything was destroyed," he said.
The owners were at home at the time, he said, noting that a smoke detector warned the family in time for them to escape the fire unhurt.
"We can't say enough about the importance of having properly working smoke detectors in the home. This one saved their lives," he noted.
Farm animals housed in the barn were also evacuated and later transported to other locations for temporary housing. One Sackville firefighter who sustained minor injuries was transported to the Sackville hospital but later released.
High winds and cold temperatures also played havoc with firefighting equipment, Guptill said, with ice buildup creating additional problems.
He noted that the Sackville fire department had initially received a call for mutual assistance to a structure fire in Point de Bute about 1:15 a.m. and while they were attending that fire received a call alerting them to the fire on Queens Road.
"It's our policy to dispatch only 15 of our firefighters, and certain trucks, for mutual aid so that there's always coverage here in Sackville," Guptill explained.
Members of the Sackville fire department were called back to the scene of the Queens Road fire twice throughout the day yesterday, once at about noon and a second time at 2:45 p.m., after high winds reignited the remaining debris on the site.
Meanwhile, members of neighbouring Chignecto Fire Department, assisted by members of the Port Elgin ans Sackville fire departments were kept busy responding to the Point de Bute fire which caused extensive damage to a house. No injuries were sustained as a result of that blaze. The cause of the fire is still unknown.