Community rallies in support
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
In the early hours of Wednesday, Aug. 7, disaster struck the Freniere family of Ogden, a small town near Stanstead. A devastating fire ravaged their home at approximately 5:40 a.m., leaving the family of four in despair as they lost all their belongings and cherished memories. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with local authorities working diligently to determine its origin.
Fire Battalion Chief Dany Brus provided details about the incident in an Aug. 8 interview. “We got the call at 5:40 in the morning,” he said. “Two stations were dispatched: Station 1 from Stanstead and Station 2 from Stanstead Township, Fitch Bay.” Upon arrival, the house was already 30-40 per cent engulfed in flames.
Brus recounted the sequence of events: “The homeowner smelled smoke from his bedroom window, which woke him up. When he looked outside, he saw flames coming from the carport attached to the house. By the time we arrived, flames were coming out of the first floor, second floor, and it had caught the roof.”
The fire was extensive, and despite the efforts of the fire stations, the house was declared a total loss. “We proceeded to put the fire out, had our water source up the road, and had the power cut to the house,” Brus explained. “People were able to get out safely, and the Red Cross came on scene to take charge of the family.”
The Freniere family—a father, mother, son, and daughter—managed to escape unharmed. Brus emphasized the importance of smoke detectors in such situations. “Smoke detectors, smoke detectors, smoke detectors,” he stressed. “Luckily, the homeowner woke up and smelled smoke before the detectors went off. They would have woken him up anyway, which is good news.”
According to a GoFundMe webpage, Alex Davis has organized a fundraiser to assist the Freniere family with immediate needs such as food, clothing, and other essentials. The community has been called upon to support the family in their time of need.
“All donations will be sent straight to the family to help with necessities,” Davis wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Any donation, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated. It will help the family start moving forward again after this tragedy.”
Over $2,000 of a goal of $8,000 has already been raised.
Chief Brus confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, with no clear cause of the fire determined yet. “We’re going by process of elimination, but right now we don’t have a set cause,” he said.
