Family of 5 displaced by fire in Durham Bridge, N.B.

A family of five is picking up the pieces after a devastating house fire in Durham Bridge, N.B., on Thursday.

The fire broke out Thursday evening on Wayne McGivney’s property, where his daughter, her husband and their three children used to live.

“We tried to get some stuff but we lost everything, we never got nothing out,” said McGivney through tears.

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Luckily, the family wasn’t home at the time of the blaze. But the family’s six-month-old kitten was lost — a devastating blow to the young children.

“Well, the cat was in the house, but the house was fully engulfed; there’s no way a cat could get out,” McGivney told Global News.

A neighbour called 911 at approximately 8:30 p.m. after hearing a loud bang and seeing flames spreading from the garage.

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Stephen Bliss, Chief of the Nashwaak Valley Fire Department, said the home was fully engulfed by the time fire crews arrived on scene.

“There wasn’t a whole lot we could do,” Bliss said.

It took firefighters several hours to battle the flames and the home is a complete loss.

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Now the family and neighbours are pulling together to help pick up the pieces.

“My daughter is in town getting clothes and stuff for the kids,” said McGivney.

“Just the clothes they got on their back, that’s all they got.”

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The Canadian Red Cross is helping the family buy clothing, groceries and other necessities.

McGivney said he’s grateful his family was not harmed and plans to surprise his grandkids with a new kitten once they are resettled.

“They just loved the cat, but we’ll get them another one, they’ll get another kitten,” he said.