Rash of grass fires in CBRM tied up resources during Glace Bay house fire

An "epidemic"of grass firestied up resources during a serious house fire in Glace Bay on Friday, says the local fire chief.

John Chant said a neighbouring department was on standby but within minutes was called to a grass fire near a wooded area onEmery Street.

Fire departments inCape Breton Regional Municipality have responded toas many as 100 grass fires in a day during one of their busiest seasons in recent memory.

"It's just the resources being needlessly brought in for these nuisance fires that causes a lot of distraction at the bigger fires," Chant said.

The Glace Bay Volunteer Fire Department responded to the house fire call on South Street shortly after 1 p.m.

The two-storey house was engulfed in flames and thefloor and roof were startingto collapse, said Chant.

He said his team considered tearing the house down because it was a safety risk for firefighters and for nearby houses.

The siding of a building about 20 metres awaywas melting, Chant said.

"Right now, the building is extremely damaged inside," he said."All you can see inside the building right now is the studding and all the contents have been destroyed. The building is definitely going to have to be torn down."

Fire marshal on scene

Cape Breton Regional Police and members of the Office of the Fire Marshalwere at the scene Saturday trying to determine what caused the fire that displaced a family of seven.

The father was working out of town and four of the five children were at school when the fire started. The mother was at home with their four-year-old and went to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Chant said the woman also sustained burns to her handand armbut he believed she has beenreleased from hospital.

The Canadian Red Cross has put the family up in a hotel for theweekend.

Chant said even with the help of other departments, resources need to be focused on responding toserious calls like this.

Despite burn bans, he said people continue tolightfires on their properties.

"When you're out cleaning your property up, you've just got to use some common sense," he said.