Officers’ heroic act saves belongings amid fire chaos in Weyburn

When a house fire erupted on Barber Crescent in Weyburn last week, emergency services from the city sprang into action.

The Weyburn Fire Department, Weyburn Police Service and Weyburn EMS were on the scene in short order to do what they could do to help.

The fire, which was in a duplex, all but engulfed one-half of the duplex. The other side was relatively unaffected by the fire, but crews had to work on the roof of that half, which meant the possibility of water and smoke damage, as well as fire damage.

The residents of that half of the duplex had just moved in, with their belongings throughout the house but still packed in boxes for the most part.

Two officers from the Weyburn Police Service as well as Fire Chief Trent Lee quickly scoped out the situation to see if there was anything they could do to help get those things out of the house. A quick trip inside, and they made the determination they could.

A call went out to those who were watching the fire department’s efforts for assistance, asking anyone who was able-bodied to help form a chain to get the items out of the house and onto the lawn. Around 10 volunteers came forward to help, and they spent around 20 minutes helping, the crews battling the fire above and beside them.

“It was great to hear the actions of those two officers,” Weyburn Deputy Police Chief Brent VanDeSype said of the efforts of the two officers who spearheaded and directed the efforts.

“These are two officers that were involved in the fire department before becoming officers, so they’re very knowledgeable on what to do, and yes, it’s great to hear the positive feedback we got from the actions of these officers.”

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family on the side of the house most affected by the fire. At this time, there is no word of similar support for the family on the other side.