Fire destroys Manitouwadge home
Family looses home to fire
by Karina Hunter
Natalie Lelievre at 42 Caribou stands before a pile of burnt rubble she and her children once called home.
Pictured is Natalie Lelievre, in front of the home she and her two children shared, at 42 Caribou Ave. in Manitouwadge; it burned to the ground January 6, 2010 while she was at work. Though Lelievre was visibly shaken, she stayed focused on the positive, “I’m relieved that my children are ok”. Lelievre’s 16year old daughter was at school when the fire happened; her 10 year old son however came much closer to tragedy. He was home to have lunch when the breaker blew, when this happened, he went to a neighbour’s house. No one would see the smoke as Lelievre had banked her trailer – a technique used in the north where fallen snow is packed around the base of a mobile home to help insulate it – that very day, she had done such an impressive job of sealing the edifice that by the time fire crews were called, there was nothing to be salvaged of the mobile home she purchased just months prior.
Thankfully, this fire did not result in any injuries; the homeowner knew how fast a fire can spread and practiced good life safety skills; once they were aware of the fire they got out and stayed out! “Smoke Alarms save lives, people should replace the batteries in their smoke alarms every six months, doing so as part of your daylight savings time routine, when adjusting clocks in your home is ideal” said Fire Chief Owen Cranney, reminding everyone to protect their homes he added that “It is important that families have an escape plan in case of fire which they practice regularly, during winter months, snow may obstruct emergency exits check your escape route to ensure exits are easily accessible and make adjustments accordingly”. With cold winter weather comes heating via woodstoves, oil furnaces and space heaters, etcetera; if these are not working properly or they are used incorrectly, dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) can accumulate in your home. Every year, hundreds of people die accidentally in North America from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances. Fetuses, infants, elderly people, and people with anemia or with a history of heart or respiratory disease can be especially susceptible; keep your loved ones safe, in addition to well maintained smoke detectors, all homes should have CO detectors which are regularly tested. If you have any questions in regards to your smoke or CO detectors or how to plan an escape route please get in touch with your local fire department.
Lelievre wanted to thank the fire fighters for their quick response, and the residents of Manitouwadge for their outpouring of generosity “We are so lucky to live in a town where people are so giving, we have received much assistance since the fire; I do not know how I could ever thank people enough”. In addition to replacing what she can of the property she and her children lost; Lelievre has the very daunting task of clearing the lot as she is responsible for removal of the enormous pile of burnt debris left by the fire, a pile of rubble she once called home “There is so much to do as we start over, I’m just taking one day at a time”.
If you would like to help the Lelievre Family, donations are being accepted at KG’s, LCBO, and other businesses throughout the community.
Submitted to The Echo, 01.15.10 with summary sent to Chronicle Journal 01.15.10
_________________________________________
Home Fire Safety Quiz (PDF)from Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office, test your fire safety knowledge by clicking.
Visit the Kids’ Safety Space from the Fire Marshall’s Public Safety Fire Council (this one might be American, hard to tell).
COLOURING PAGES
_________________________________________
