N.S. couple who lost home in wildfire last year gets a new beginning

A Hammonds Plains couple who lost everything in last year’s wildfires have been given a new beginning.

“It’s amazing, it’s a good feeling,” says the couple.

They lost their home in the Hammonds Plains fire, a little more than a year ago. Today, ground was broken on their new one. Fizzard recalls returning to his property after the fire.

“It’s very hard, we came and seen this mess and all I wanted to do was crawl in that foundation and die,” he says.

After staying in hotels and with friends, the pair is soon returning home thanks to Habitat for Humanity, who is leading the charge to rebuild their split entry home from the ground up.

“In the fall, we started to meet with the families in Shelburne and HRM, who had been affected or did not have insurance or were under insured and met with the families. Sue and Phil really just kind of fit under the umbrella of habitat for humanity and were ready,” says Nova Scotia Habitat for Humanity CEO, Donna Williamson.

The United Way and the Canadian Red Cross are partners in the project, marking a milestone between the organizations.

“This is the first time I believe in Nova Scotia that Habitat for Humanity and Red Cross have worked together but certainly times of disaster bring together community organizations to help meet the needs of impacted individuals and households,” says the Canadian Red Cross’ Atlantic senior manager, Ancel Langille.

That includes Reid and Fizzard who made it out of the flames with a laptop, a few papers, and their cats. The couple is grateful for the support.

“For everybody to be here, it’s thrilling, it really is,” Reid says.

“We usually try to help people, if somebody needs help will help them. We’re not usually the ones to take,” adds Fizzard.

The pair had lived in the home for 11 years, memories were lost in the fire but new ones are practically on their doorstep.

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