A Nova Scotia man is left shaken after his neighbour’s home in Lower Sackville, N.S., caught fire over the weekend and claimed the life of a child.
Gerrid Hunt says he woke up to his daughter screaming around 3 a.m. Saturday.
“Screaming that the house was engulfed in flames, and I don’t know what else she was saying, I just threw on clothes and ran next door,” said Hunt.
Hunt says he saw his neighbour, Tanya, and two-year-old daughter standing outside. That’s when he found out there were still others inside the home, including Tanya’s husband, on the main floor.
Without thinking twice, Hunt ran into the home to help.
“It was just burning the throat, burned the eyes. I tried my best to get to him. Took a few tries and finally got to him,” Hunt said.
Hunt was able to rescue the husband, a 40-year-old man named Jermaine, who was then taken to hospital in critical condition.
Emergency crews arrived at the duplex on Riverside Drive a short time later.
Police say three children, aged five, six and nine, were also taken to hospital by EHS.
The Nova Scotia RCMP has since confirmed the six-year-old girl has died from her injuries.
Tanya and her two-year-old child were uninjured.
Online fundraisers
Two online fundraisers for the family have been created since the fire.
One created by family friends identifies the six-year-old as “Chloe” and says she died following the fire. The page is raising funds for her funeral costs.
“Chloe was the light of their lives, and her smile was infectious to all those she came in contact with. No parent should have to bury their child, especially in such a tragic way,” the page reads.
Chloe was reportedly staying at her cousin’s home the night of the fire.
A second GoFundMe page, also created by family friends, is raising funds to help the Loppie-Steiger family rebuild after the fire. The page says the family lost everything.
“The entire family is in rough shape and needs our love, prayers, and support now more than ever,” the page reads.
“Tanya and Jermaine are some of the hardest-working and most loving parents I know, always striving to provide the best life for their children. This heartbreaking event has left them with nothing but the nightmare they now have to endure.”
A vigil was held Sunday night outside the home, where a memorial of teddy bears and candles continues to grow.
“Jermaine is a very good friend of mine and I’m emotionally preparing for the kind of friend he’ll need as he works his way through this over the coming months and years,” said Hunt.
“It’s been a bit of an emotional roller coaster. My kids definitely were traumatized seeing and hearing things you don’t want any kid to see and hear.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation. However, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Deputy Chief David Meldrum told CTV News on Sunday there are no indications the fire is suspicious.
