A Lumby family whose home was gutted by flames Wednesday night will not be able to live in the heavily-damaged house anytime soon.
“It is pretty sad,” said neighbour Gary McWilson. “They’d just purchased the house.”
The blaze sparked late Wednesday night on Lumby’s Skyview Cres.
Next door, the neighours were alerted to the flames by a knock on the door.
They jumped into action hosing down a cedar hedge and debris falling off the burning home.
“I was afraid the hedge was going to start and take our house, too,” McWilson said.
When firefighters arrived, the top floor was already fully engulfed.
Along with fighting the flames, fire crews were also working to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby homes.
In the end, the blaze was contained to one home.
Lumby’s fire chief said it took firefighters roughly an hour and a half to knock down the fire. Some crew members remained on scene overnight putting out hot spots.
The weather made the firefighters’ work more difficult.
The heatwave the area is currently experiencing meant crews were getting fatigued faster than they usually would, the fire chief said.
However, no one was injured in the blaze.
What sparked the fire hasn’t been determined but it is not believed to be suspicious.