'Many people to thank': Sault woman grateful family, house safe after fire destroys garage

The Sault’s Sarah Henriques Alton is expressing her gratitude to Sault Fire Services, police and neighbours after the detached garage of her Dennis Street home was destroyed by fire early Monday morning.

A number of adjacent structures were also damaged. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

“Your brain goes back and forth after the fact, where you have pictures in your mind of the way the flames looked and the fear that is tied to that, and then feeling grateful everyone’s safe, the house was saved and there are many people to thank,” Alton said in a phone interview with SooToday.

Alton was awakened early Monday and alerted to the fire by a neighbour who pounded on her door and urged her to flee the house. 

“When I pulled back the curtain it was just a blaze of orange blowing across and I just assumed the house was going up next and it was a matter of ‘get the kids out, let’s go.’”

Alton’s husband had already left the house to go to work.

Alton, her three children and two pets safely left the house.

“One of the firefighters said ‘that’s as close as you get without a house actually igniting, that was close,’ so you can’t be anything other than thankful," she said. "The platoon chief was very patient, very calm. My neighbour stayed with the kids. I have a lot of gratitude for a lot of really caring individuals. I really thought that we were going to lose the house. I’m grateful that somebody knocked on the door and I was able to get the kids out.”

Alton called 911 but said she is thankful that several of her neighbours also did so.

“The police were here and very pleasant to deal with as well. The firefighters and police do this all the time but it still struck me how patient and gentle they were. They do this every day. The firefighters were amazing.”

Alton said she and her family are definitely experiencing a sense of loss after the blaze consumed the garage and belongings stored inside it, but thankful for the big picture.

“You look through the remnants of your Christmas decorations, my husband’s looking at melted tools, but I’m grateful my family’s safe and grateful my house is safe.”