A Yorkton couple will not be spending Christmas at home following a structural fire at their Sunset Drive residence December 11.
The mid-day blaze started with an electrical outlet on the outside of the garage and spread into the basement and attic before it was noticed by neighbours.
Trevor Morrissey, deputy fire chief, said there was nothing suspicious about the cause.
Firefighters made rapid entry into the home rescuing two dogs and quickly getting the flames under control, but not before extensive structural damage was caused.
Despite being devastated by the prospect of their home possibly being a write-off, Brad McLaren was grateful.
"The firefighters went above and beyond the call of duty risking their lives to save our dogs," he said.
The couple's cat was not so lucky and perished in the blaze.
Despite extensive damage to the home itself, Morrissey said the vast majority of the contents were not affected by fire. They may still be unsalvageable due to smoke damage, however.
McLaren and his wife Marilyn have still not been able to get back into the house to assess the situation and, he said, it is still up in the air what they will do next pending the insurance settlement.
Morrissey said daytime fires frequently end up causing more damage because there is no one home to alert the fire department early. He suggested a simple preventative measure.
"A monitored alarm system is the way to go," he said. "People don't know what they have until it's gone. For the expense you go through to put it in, it's well worth it.
Most insurance companies offer significant discounts where a monitored alarm system is installed.
