ZHIIBAAHAASING—Fortunately none of the members of a Zhiibaahaasing First Nation family, Terry Cyr and his four young children, were injured after a fire totally destroyed their house on Sunday, September 8.
“We got a call about the fire at about 4:50 pm on Sunday, September 8,” confirmed Blair Sampson, fire chief for the Sheshegwaning volunteer fire department when contacted by the Recorder on Monday. “It only took us about five to six minutes in total to get to the fire hall and be on the scene of the fire, but when we arrived at the house the front porch was already gone, the roof had caved in and half of the living room was gone.”
Mr. Sampson explained the fire had started to spread to the outside of a neighbour’s house as well. “I told our firefighters we need to concentrate on the other home because (Mr. Cyr’s) house was too far gone. All we could do was contain the area around the home and the neighbour’s home as well as the new band offices which are close as well.”
The destroyed home was owned by Terry Cyr, a single father with four young children ranging in age from seven months to eight-years-old. Fortunately, “no one was hurt in the fire, everyone got out alright,” said Mr. Sampson. He explained the blaze had started “as a mattress caught fire on the front porch.”
“We had seven responders with the fire department on hand to put the fire out,” said Mr. Sampson. The firefighters were on the scene for approximately six-and-a-half hours.
Yvonne Sagon, a Zhiibaahaasing resident, told the Recorder the Cyr family lost everything in the fire. A bank account has been set up at the Bank of Montreal in Gore Bay for those wishing to make a donation to the family. The transit number is 23422 and the account number is 8989-771. “And anyone who would like to help out can also donate things like appliances and furniture that they can use at the (Zhiibaahaasing) band office.”
