Tatamagouche firefighters save antique, wooden train caboose

Volunteers with the Tatamagouche Fire Department are being hailed as saviours by the owners of the Train Station Inn after a fire close by almost spread to an antique, wooden caboose.

"If they didn't get there in time, the caboose would have been gone," said Jimmie LeFresne, the inn's owner.

LeFresne said the inn only offers accommodations in the antique train cabooses during the summer, so no one was inside at the time of the fire.

The fire started on the old railway trail behind the 101-year-old caboose after a car hit a tree around 3 a.m. Saturday.

The car came to a stop about six metres away from the caboose.

LeFresne's brother lives across from the trail and he heard the crash.

"He got up to look out the window and he saw a car over there and then all of a sudden, he saw it burst into flames," he said.

LeFresne said the car became engulfed in flames that rose about five metres.

But the nearby caboose only received minor damage thanks to Tatamagouche firefighters.

"It was a close call for one of the cabooses, because of course, of all the cabooses that the car stopped at, it was the wooden one," said fire Chief Mark Langille. 

"The paint was blistering and it was getting pretty hot and getting to the point of near ignition."

Langille said the car was abandoned by the time firefighters arrived and it's unclear how the fire started.

He said the firefighters were lucky that conditions were damp and cool and it wasn't windy. Otherwise, the fire could have spread.

Langille said the volunteer firefighters appreciate that their hard work is being applauded.

"It's what we do. It's just another call, but it's nice to be recognized and it feels good to make a save," he said.

LeFresne said he's grateful the caboose didn't catch fire and spread to the other cabooses on the lot.

"Just thank heavens for the fire department and their quick response."