A fire has destroyed a home on Norman Boulevard in Hammonds Plains.
The owner of the home was hosting an art class in her basement when the family dog alerted them to fire.
A witness attending the art class told Global News that they didn’t see or smell any indication of a fire until they went upstairs in response to a barking dog.
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She said that smoke was so thick that they couldn’t see the front door and had to take another exit, fleeing the home without shoes.
A neighbour says he is glad to see that everyone got out safely.
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“I was coming back from a meeting and all I saw was black smoke and obviously coming down I didn’t know if it was my house. I was relieved it wasn’t my house but the next thing you do is worry about the neighbors,” said Dean Kennedy.
Halifax Fire received the call just before 11 a.m., and that a home was engulfed in flames.
Dozens of firefighters and multiple units were on scene tackling the blaze. But due to a lack of fire hydrants in the area crews were forced to use tankers to transport water to the scene.
The homeowners were too shaken up to speak on camera.
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The family does have two small children who were in school at the time.
Officials say the home is considered to be a write-off and fire investigators were on the scene after the fire was contained.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.