A fire investigator sifts through the rubble at the Eastview Trailer Court. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Fire investigation

Trailer fire leaves friends and small dog homeless

Dec 9, 2021 | 5:00 PM

A trailer at the Eastview Trailer Park has been reduced to a pile of ash and twisted metal, following a fire there early Wednesday afternoon.

The Prince Albert Fire Department was dispatched to the scene, in the Rural Municipality (RM) of Prince Albert, around 1:30 p.m. Fire Chief Kris Olsen told paNOW when crews arrived on scene, the trailer was partially involved.

“Before much time had passed the structure was fully involved. At that time the Prince Albert Fire Department went into a defensive operation,” he said.

Being there is no municipal water supply in the trailer court, Olsen explained the fire department had to bring in a tanker, and were assisted by two contractors.

“Right off the top of my head I’ve got to give a big thank you to those contractors, they got there real quick and we had a really adequate water supply,” Olsen said.

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Olsen added while the trailer was lost, they were able to protect nearby homes which he explained is tough to do a in trailer court setting because the distance between the structures is minimal.

A picture taken at the time of the fire. (Submitted photo)

At the time of the fire, there were two people inside the trailer, along with a three year old dog named Niko. Chantalle Doray explained to paNOW the night prior, their breaker had switched off, and the pipes froze. So they asked a friend for help, who brought over a torch and a heat gun.

“I don’t know if he left it unattended but the next thing he was yelling to get a fire extinguisher,” Doray recalled.

Because they had no running water, the three friends grabbed water bottles and tried their best to douse the flames, but it was too late as the flames had spread to the home’s insulation.

“John was trying to see what he could salvage but he couldn’t go down the hallway because the flames went right over his head, and by that time the black smoke had filled the ceiling and we had to duck underneath just to be able to see,” she said.

Together, with only the clothes on their backs, Chantalle and John made their way to the door, stopping briefly to retrieve their dog that had retreated out of fear to its kennel.

“We are one or two pay cheques from being homeless and when you are that broke, you live kind of on the edge and you don’t have insurance so here we are, two adults in their 50’s, and we have nothing,” she said.

A picture of John Aubichon and his dog Niko. (Submitted/ Christine Maser)

Doray explained Red Cross has helped provide temporary shelter in the form of a hotel room and they have received support from friends and family.

In the meantime, a gofundme has been started by the man’s daughter, Christine Maser. In a statement, Maser expressed her desire to assist with fire and debris clean up costs, and to help pay for a place for them to stay.

“My dad is an amazing man, writer and drummer, he loves helping people out. In the winter he loves to drive around in Prince Albert in his truck and pull people out of ditches and Niko is a lovable pooch who loves to go to the office to work and cruising on dads motor bike,” Maser said.

As of Thursday afternoon, the online fundraiser had raised just under $600.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell