Fire levels home in Frenchman's Cove, family of 4 homeless

A family from Newfoundland's west coast is left without a home after a house in Frenchman's Cove was completely destroyed in a blaze Thursday.

RCMP as well as the Corner Brook Fire Department and South Shore Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call, but the fire was too big and too hot to put out and it levelled the home.

• Red Cross steps in to help 2 families displaced by fire

The family of four that lived in the home have been displaced, but the house was insured and the Canadian Red Cross has stepped in to offer clothes and other items.

Neville Wheaton, Corner Brook fire chief, said the smoke from the blaze could be seen from his city.

Corner Brook firefighters were called to assist shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, but when crews arrived the bungalow was already engulfed in flames.

"The structure was fully involved and it had self ventilated, meaning that it had come out through the windows and it was out through the roof upon our arrival," said Wheaton.

A man had been at the home at the time of the fire, but was outside mowing the lawn and was not injured in the fire.

The South Shore Volunteer Fire Department helped fight the blaze, but when a fire happens in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday some of those volunteer firefighters are at their day jobs.

This means crews have to get called in from Corner Brook, about a 20-kilometre drive away.

"We are finding that daytime, the numbers are down in the smaller communities because they are away working and then people know that we have 24-7 coverage here, so that's the biggest advantage I think," said Wheaton.

RCMP are continuing their investigation to determine what caused the fire.