The Northern Bruce Peninsula Fire department says working smoke alarms and a planned and practiced home escape plan saved two lives in Tobermory early this morning.
Fire Chief Jack Burt says 25 firefighters from the Tobermory and Lion’s Head departments responded at about 4:30 this morning to a blaze on Corey Crescent.
He says fire spread through the house in just five minutes, completely destroying the structure.
Burt says, “In my 20-plus year career, I have seen a lot of fires and I can tell you this was and extremely fast, aggressive moving fire, and people do not realize how fast that fire can actually grow and travel in such a short period of time. Having a working smoke alarm is the one way that you can ensure your own safety.”
No one was injured. Burt says, “Unfortunately we weren’t able to salvage anything in the house and our damage estimate is at approximately $500,000.”
While some surrounding cedar trees caught fire, Burt says firefighters managed to contain that as well as save the outbuildings and other things surrounding the house.
They battled the blaze for nearly five hours, until about 10 this morning.
Burt says the house is insured and the couple has another place to stay.
He notes, while the cause of the fire is being investigated, it is not considered suspicious.
Burt says knowing ahead of time, the possible ways out of your house is key, “They knew a way out of the house and when they realized the house was on fire they had practiced and planned that if this ever did happen, where they would go and have a meeting place outside.”
Burt adds, “That’s one of the most important things in the home escape plan is to have that meeting place, so everybody goes out to one place so we know that everybody is out of the house. That way nobody’s trying to go back in to rescue any people or pets or anything of that nature–and once you get out, stay out.”