A house fire near Lunenburg, N.S., has claimed the lives of three children and a woman who has been identified as a teaching assistant at Bluenose Academy.
RCMP said their officers, along with firefighters and EHS, responded to a home on Upper Branch Road in Auburndale on the South Shore just after 4 a.m. Saturday.
“Upon arrival, the house was fully engulfed in flames. It is believed six people were in the home at the time of the fire,” RCMP noted in a news release.
A 36-year-old man and four-year-old boy were able to escape the home and were taken to hospital by ambulance.
“The remains of four other people (an adult and three children) were found inside the home,” RCMP said.
In a letter to the school posted on its website, Jennifer McMullen, Bluenose Academy’s principal, identified the woman as Kaylea Savory, a teaching assistant at the school. The letter revealed that two of the young victims also attended the school as students: Hendrix Savory was in Grade 3 and Harley Savory was in Grade 6.
“As a community, we are holding Kaylea’s family and friends in our thoughts during this difficult time,” McMullen wrote.
“We will do everything we can to support our students and staff as our school community grieves such a tragic loss of life.”
South Shore Regional & Tri-County Regional Centres for Education confirmed the third child was a Grade 4 student at Greenfield Elementary in Greenfield, N.S.
Both schools will provide grief counselling on Tuesday, when classes resume after the long weekend.
In a post on the Midville and District Fire Department’s Facebook page, Fire Chief Cory Emino thanked the community for its support and neighbouring fire departments for their “professionalism and dedication during such a difficult time.”
“A tragedy has fallen upon our community,” Emino wrote.
“Our hearts and sincerest condolences are with the family and friends in their time of need.”
RCMP said Sunday that they do not believe the fire was suspicious, yet the investigation by the Nova Scotia’s Office of the Fire Marshal and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service is ongoing.
Emergency officials remained on the scene Sunday and the public was asked to stay away from the area.
An online fundraiser was set up by a friend, with a goal of raising $50,000 for the family.
Comments