Despite the degree of damage, Alfred Culleton said he was thankful.
“It could have been worse,” he said. “The firemen told us if it happened at night we never would have gotten down the stairs.”
The noontime fire quickly filled the two-storey house with smoke. Culleton said he was able to rescue the family cat and the dog as the midday fire was filling the house with smoke. He believes walls on both levels will need to be ripped out and replaced to rid the home of its smoke damage.
The Canadian Red Cross is helping the Culletons, Alfred and Holly and their adult son, Jonathan, with emergency lodging and with food and clothing.
The Alberton Volunteer Fire Department answered Holly Culleton’s 9-1-1 call at 11:53 a.m. and were on the scene for about two and a half hours.
Fire department engineer, Bill Gillis, said the report was received as a flue fire but the fire had moved into the walls and ceiling near the flue before they arrived. He said smoke damage was extensive. The flue was located in the wall between the kitchen and living room and the fire spread into the walls and the ceilings near the flue in both rooms.
The farmhouse, on the corner of the Oliver Road and the Dock Road in Elmsdale, is still known to many as the Bob Campbell house, even though the Culletons have owned it for close to 25 years.
After finding temporary lodging, the Culletons returned to their house Thursday evening to gather some of their belongings and to drain water pipes as they are unable to heat the house at least until the flue is checked out and, if necessary, repaired.
