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Two fire departments battle blaze off Highway 55

Dec 29, 2018 | 6:18 PM

Two fire departments were battling a house fire Saturday afternoon.

Buckland Fire and Rescue Chief Garry Schrader told paNOW they got called out to help out a neighbouring department.

“We were called roughly around noon, for mutual aid to help Garden River Fire Department for a house fire that was on Highway 55 by White Star Road,” he said.

Specifically, Garden River asked Buckland to supply an engine and a tanker truck. Along with the two trucks the Buckland department sent eight members. Schrader estimated there was a total of 16 people on the scene with the Garden River department working on one side of the house and the Buckland department on the other.   

“When we got on scene the house was fully engulfed,” he said.

When they arrived firefighters attempted to keep the flames away from the two car garage, but were unable to do so.  

“We tried to save the garage, but it got into the attic,” said Schrader.

Fighting the fire was at times challenging for the two departments given the weather conditions, as it caused issues with some of the equipment.

“It’s cold out there and things freeze, we had a frozen pump there we had to thaw out,” Schrader said.

No one was hurt as a result of the fire and there was no indication about the cause. Firefighters were on the scene for around four hours.

Schrader said the damage caused by the fire was substantial.

“It was a total loss on it there,” he said.

 

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn