A family is devastated after their home literally burned to the ground on October 23, 2018 in Alnwick/Haldimand Township.
Fire crews were dispatched to the two storey home on Dunnette Landing Road around 9 p.m. and when crews arrived there was little they could do as the home was engulfed in flames.
Chief Mark Dimine said after crews confirmed there was no one inside the residence, fire crews worked on spraying two nearby homes and a garage from the embers.
Five people were inside the home around the kitchen table looking at old photos when the fire was first noticed.
Sharon Greer (47-years-old), her boyfriend, her two daughters (aged 20 and 25) and one of their boyfriends were sitting around the dining room table relaxing after dinner not knowing that in only a matter of minutes the home would be engulfed in flames.
“My boyfriend went to change the laundry over and he said, “I think something’s burning.”
“Within not even two minutes we were running out of the house – it happened so quick.”
They ran out of the house so quick, some didn’t put on their shoes the fire was spreading so fast.
Greer said approximately 10 minutes before the fire, the dining room lights “flickered” but they thought it was just the rain or wind.
Kelsey Greer said the back porch was on fire. While her sister called 9-1-1 Kelsey and her sisters boyfriend tried to get the fire extinguisher to work, “but the pin was broken.”
“I just grabbed my laptop and ran outside.”
“By the time we got outside, the smoke was everywhere – it was hard to breath,” said Kelsey.
When everyone made it to safety outside the home, they could see flames inside the dining room.
Thick black smoke was pouring out the front door within seconds of the family escaping.
“We didn’t even grab the pictures we were looking at on the table – they were my baby pictures,” said Sharon Greer.
“Didn’t get the pictures of my Grandpa – I didn’t get anything.”
The home had numerous smoke detectors through both floors, by the stairwell and bedrooms, but they didn’t go off until the residents noticed the smoke.
Greer is thankful that everyone made it out safely and is very grateful it didn’t happen when they were sleeping as she doubts everyone would have made it out of the home in time.
Greer was still in shock on Wednesday morning with little sleep wondering what had happened.
“It started out back,” said Kelsey. “It wasn’t inside the house at first. It was outside.”
Sitting in the lobby of a hotel, Kelsey’s mother said “I’m still in shock, I’d like to say I’m in denial, but there is nothing to deny – it’s gone.”
The family has nothing but the clothes on their back.
“We just have what we are wearing,” said Kelsey.
“I didn’t even have shoes – I’m wearing someone else’s shoes, we don’t have toothbrushes or anything.”
It’s estimated damage is in excess of $400,000 and officials are still investigating the cause.
The family has insurance and are currently staying at a local motel.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
