Trevor Jones returned home last Thursday to find black smoke billowing out his side door.
He immediately ran inside to extinguish the fire with a blanket, but was forced back due to flames from the kitchen.
“It was incredible how quickly I was able to focus on what I needed to do,” said Jones. “It was panic, but at the same time I knew I needed to get someone to call 911 and I had to get everyone out of their trailers. I then went back to take care of any gasoline canisters I had around the outside of the house.”
Crews were called to Lismore Trailer Park on Flood Hope Road at 10:48 a.m. Nine firefighters arrived on scene to find the mobile home fully engulfed in flames. Neighbour Brenda Bray said flames reached 20 feet high at one point. Firefighters managed to knock down the fire prior to entering the trailer to extinguish hot spots.
“While no one was home at the time, the fact that there was a working smoke alarm in the home was a good sign as this fire could have occurred at anytime of the day or night and would have helped alert anyone that may have been inside,” said Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy.
The fire was contained to the Jones mobile home, however a nearby parked car sustained some heat damage as well as the trailers on either side. The family’s cat Lulu was inside when the blaze started, but managed to escape.
DeSorcy said the cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but does not appear to be suspicious.
Since the fire, Jones has received an outpour of support from the community. He is temporarily living in another trailer on the Lismore property.
“I’m just overwhelmed by the amount of people that have helped out with stuff like furniture, clothes, food and just even moral support,” said Jones. “I’m very thankful. Everyone just immediately jumped to help us.”
** An editing error occurred in a headline on the front page of the Nov. 9 Hope Standard print edition, which unfortunately was not discovered until after the newspaper went to press.
We regret the error, and express our sincere condolences to the owners and family associated with the related story.
Andrew Franklin
Publisher
The Standard