A home in Grand Forks was destroyed by fire on Wednesday afternoon.
Fire Chief Rich Piché said the house on Covert Street was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived.
“The house was fully involved end to end on the rear side,” Piché said.
He confirmed all occupants were out of the home, allowing firefighters to move quickly.
“We ended up with a total of 29 firefighters. We had three engines and four tenders,” Piché said. “My directive as commander was to protect the exposures and make it a defensive attack. It was a completely open roof, and this fire was moving fast. I didn’t think we were going to get a knockdown from a house-saving perspective, so we focused on saving the exposures — a workshop and their RV. We essentially surrounded and drowned it. We used 50,000 gallons of water shuttled back and forth from the nearest hydrant, about 1.2 kilometres away.”
The house was a total loss, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Piché reminded residents to give emergency crews space to work safely.
“When people come out to take pictures or drive by to look, they can get in our way. Our tenders were trying to shuttle water back and forth, and it’s quite dangerous. We’re trying to move as quickly as possible,” he said. “During an emergency, please stay away if you’re not required.”
The family continues to receive support from the Grand Forks community during this difficult time.
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