UPDATED —Aug. 17, 9:14 a.m.
A house fire in Copper Cliff last night took Greater Sudbury Fire Services several hours to put out because old house was insulated with materials such as sawdust.
According to Platoon Chief Mike Valiquette, the house was anywhere from 50 to 75 years old and was an "old Inco house." Fire services used foam fire extinguishing agents to battle the blaze, since the fire had moved into the walls of the structure and would keep re-igniting, he said.
Two firefighters suffered burns while battling the blaze. One suffered first degree burns and is already back at work, Valiquette said, while the other will take some time off to recover from second degree burns.
Around 4 p.m. Aug. 16, Platoon Chief Mark Gobbo said the house "was fully engulfed" by flames when fire crews arrived around 2 p.m. Access to Diorite Street and beyond was blocked by the blaze at the corner of Rink and Union streets until around 10 p.m., when the fire was officially extinguished.
The fire completely gutted the house, leaving the three residents — a mother and two teenaged children — homeless. They were out at the time of the fire, and the Red Cross has stepped in to help them.
One firefighter rescued a kitten from the fire and returned it to the family. Investigators from the Fire Marshal's Office are expected to arrive today to start a preliminary investigation of the fire.
