A home on Brown Street suffered severe damage during a mid-day fire on Monday morning, although firefighters did manage to rescue a dog and cat from the building.
At 11:15 a.m. on May 1, the Moose Jaw Fire Department responded to a blaze at 1210 Brown Street near the corner of 12th Avenue and across the street from the St. Michael School playground. The department sent three trucks to the scene, with firefighters arriving to find smoke billowing from the home.
It took crews about half an hour to extinguish the blaze, which caused “severe damage” to the back of the home near the kitchen and to the attic above, according to the department. Investigators believe ashes from a fire pit adjacent to the house may have caused the blaze.
No one was in the home at the time of the fire.
After noon, firefighters checked the house for remaining hot spots. One fireman ripped open the roof while others cleaned up the area where the firepit was. The department also opened several windows and doors to vent the remaining carbon monoxide.
The homeowner and some of his family members were also on the scene, talking with each other, speaking with people on the phone and engaging with firefighters.
“My home is totalled,” the homeowner told the Moose Jaw Express, adding he was up-town when the fire occurred, while he was thankful that his pets escaped.
With the fire trucks and firefighters still on site, dozens of kids were attracted to the scene when the lunch bell rang. Many leaned against the fence checking things out, while some firefighters later provided stickers and temporary tattoos.
