BROOKFIELD, N.S.
The remains of an unsecured burned-out building in Brookfield are not only an eyesore, but present a potential safety hazard in the community, a neighbouring resident says.
“I just hate seeing traps like that left for people,” said Dave Wilson.
The structure, which housed Skylyn Bridal Boutique, burned over the New Year’s weekend.
As a former volunteer firefighter Wilson said he knows all too well the potential dangers that exist at such sites.
“It’s just a mess around there,” he said.
Wilson spoke to the Daily News about his concern, he said, after watching a woman walking around the building, who he suspected was “trying to get cool pictures.” Then, he saw kids playing around the burned-out structure.
“If the insurance company has some concern, they should put a safety fence around it,” he said.
Brookfield Fire Chief Rod Nielsen said his concerns were also raised after he learned children were playing around the building. Firefighters have since put up yellow caution tape around the site as a warning.
But Nielsen said he also spoke with a representative of the insurance company late Friday afternoon who assured him a contractor had been hired to demolish the building and clean up the area.
That work is expected to begin this week.
Nielsen said firefighters concluded the blaze began in an attic crawl space. The cause remains undetermined but it could potentially have been from an electrical short caused by rodents.
“We eliminated everything that we wanted to eliminate as a cause,” he said.
