An early morning house fire in East Preston, N.S. has brought devastation to a newly married couple.
The fire happened just after 3 a.m. Saturday in the home just outside Halifax.
The owner’s mother, Evelyn Brooks, was the first to see the flames.
“I see the blaze in the back and I say, ‘something’s wrong, nobody's home,’” she said.
The family had been out of town camping when the fire started. By the time the fire department showed up, it was too late to save anything.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
“She’s really gone to pieces,” said the owner’s father Earl Brooks. “It’s wrecked in there. I don’t think there’s anything worth saving.”
It took hours and several fire crews to subdue the flames.
“The fire was officially put out by around 6:30 this morning and we remained on scene for the investigation,” said Lt. Pierre Cadieux of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency.
The couple who lived in the house got married less than a month ago.
“He did so much work to the house before they got married,” said Earl. “That’s what hurts the most. But like I said, we'll help them out in anyways we can.”
Friends and family are reaching out to help replace what the fire took away.
“We’ll be here to help them get back on their feet,” said family member Ruby Brooks. “Lots of friends and family – we're all family around here.”
The family says they are relieved no one was home at the time of the fire. They are now shifting their focus on relief efforts.
“It’ll be back bigger than ever,” said Evelyn. “That’s my firm belief. It’ll come back.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelly Linehan.
