Safira Lachapelle looks around at the charred rubble at her fathers industrial yard. (Tiffany Goodwein/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

No one hurt

Trailers turned to rubble after destructive fire

Nov 11, 2021 | 6:04 PM

REDCLIFF, AB– Safira Lachapelle was at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Medicine Hat, when things took a sudden turn.

“ We were walking home to our house on the hill and my uncle, and aunt were driving by, they stopped in the middle of the road and said, ‘your dad’s yard is on fire, look in the sky,” she said.

That’s when she saw thick, black, aggressive smoke quickly take hold of the crystal clear blue sky.

Lachapelle made her way to her father’s industrial yard in Redcliff, only to find five trailers, and three sea cans completely engulfed.

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No one lived inside the trailers but they were used for storing items.

A wooden shed, reduced to ashes contained special memorabilia of her younger brother Richard, who died by suicide 11 years ago.

“I had my brother’s drums in there, because he was a musician, and a bunch of his songbooks because he would write music, and I have a lot of clothing from people who have passed away because for me that is a very personal item. So I had some of his clothing, and some toys from when we were children,” Lachapelle said.

Items from her grandparents were also inside. Lachapelle lost her grandfather last year.

One of the five trailers destroyed was her father’s. The trailer was purchased after her father Jerry lost his other trailer in a fire a year and a half ago, making it the second time in less than two years that their trailer and belongings were scorched by flames.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but Lachapelle said that a battery was charging inside one of the trailers prior to it catching on fire.

Lachapelle said her entire family is grateful for the work of fire crews, who were met with dangerous conditions. A thousand-pound propane tank was on one of the trailers on fire. Luckily crews managed to prevent it from exploding.

CHAT News has reached out to Cypress County Fire Services and are awaiting a response.

Phyliss Forsyth with the Town of Redcliff confirmed the cause has not been determined but the fire is believed to have been accidental.

In the meantime, despite losing precious items, Lachapelle and her entire family, remain thankful that no one was hurt.