MACOUN — Macoun family is grappling with the loss of their home after a devastating fire on Dec. 8-9 reduced their house to ashes.
Chantelle and Cody Loewen, along with their two daughters Kensley and Brexley, are now reflecting on the traumatic experience and expressing gratitude for the support from their community.
The fire, which started just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 8, began in the family's attached garage. What first appeared to be a minor concern quickly escalated. Chantelle recalls the initial signs.
"My husband smelled some plastic burning," Chantelle said in the interview with the Estevan Mercury and SaskToday on Dec. 17. "He had come out to the living room area where I was sitting and said, 'There's some plastic burning or something burning, can't you smell that?'"
What followed was a frantic search for the source of the smell, which Chantelle noted was a common odour, and during the first moments didn't present anything major.
"I was checking all the outlets and stuff like that, thinking, okay, maybe there's one of those charger blocks burning," Cody said.
"I went and checked my hair straighteners and stuff like that to see if it was that," Chantelle explained. "Then I came back to the living room and noticed there was smoke, or like a smog, in our porch. I opened the door just a crack and right away shut it and said, 'It's coming from the garage.'"
In that moment, instincts kicked in. Chantelle and Cody rushed to get their two daughters and the family dogs out of the house. Cody entered the house again to retrieve his truck keys, while Chantelle returned to save the family birds.
Once out, the family sat in the truck, waiting for the fire department to arrive.
"It felt like forever in the moment, just because you're sitting there watching it, but I don't think it was that long," Chantelle said. "Obviously, they had to go get suited up and go to the fire department. And they're out of Midale and out of Estevan, and the roads were not great because it was raining and snowing, so they had to be careful getting there."
She noted that the firefighters got to the scene quickly, but the fire was spreading faster, and despite efforts by local fire departments, the house could not be saved. Sitting and watching it burn, they first hoped it was possible to contain it to the garage.
"We never thought that we would be losing our house," Chantelle said. "We never thought that we would lose everything in our house because it started in the garage. The garage is attached, but we had hoped that they would be able to contain it."
"And I was just trying to save whatever I could and moved a few bigger things out of the shop just to save them," Cody added, noting that at that point they were afraid the fire would spread over to a detached shop. But fortunately, the wind was blowing the other way, so the shop remained untouched.
When the Loewens left between 11 p.m. and midnight, firefighters were still battling the flames. The family still believed the damage might be contained to the garage, but the fire ultimately reached the basement.
"They were putting out the fire in the garage, and it had gone through the attic at [the time we left], but they had it mostly contained, and the house was still a structure when we left," Chantelle shared. "Obviously it's smoky smelling, but we thought we'd be able to go in and still gather some possessions you can't really get back, things that are mementos."
By 5 a.m., she got a hold of someone on site, and they sent her pictures. The house was no longer there at all.
"[I was told] the fire had gotten to the basement, unfortunately, and once it had gotten to the basement, there was no saving the house because of the structure of the basement [and its] false floor," Chantelle recalled.
The loss came at an already difficult time for the family and just weeks before Christmas. Chantelle, who has also experienced significant personal losses over the past year, spoke about the emotional weight of losing irreplaceable keepsakes.
"I've lost my dad, my grandma, and my other grandma. … For me, the hardest part is not being able to regain the things I had of theirs," she said. "I had some of my dad's ashes set aside to do necklaces or plant a tree, and I lost all of that."
Amid the hardship, Chantelle remains reflective.
"Everyone keeps saying, 'You'll be okay, you have your family,' but it still hurts to lose the things you can't replace," she said.
Despite the devastation, Chantelle and Cody were quick to praise the outpouring of support from friends, family and the local communities.
"The community was amazing. Everyone really came together," Chantelle said. "We had lots of clothing donations, furniture donations — everything you kind of need. Also, cash donations and e-transfers. It was absolutely amazing because in that moment you need everything again.
"We'd like to thank everyone, thank the community, and thank Midale, Macoun and Estevan and just all our family and friends and everyone who supported us through all of this," she added, noting that their family has strong connections to Estevan, has lived in Macoun for the last nine years and plans to stay in the community.
Cody echoed his wife's sentiments.
"Thanks to the community for helping us out. Everybody really stepped up, so we'll definitely be paying it forward in the future," he said.
In the days following the fire, the Loewens found temporary refuge, first at family members' place, then in a hotel and finally moving into a trailer house in Macoun. Their priority remains keeping life as normal as possible for their daughters, ages nine and seven.
"The kids go to school in Macoun, so we're trying to keep their life as normal as possible," Chantelle explained. "The older one is taking it a bit harder — she's more sentimental and missing things from people — but they're both back in school this week.
"The other one is sad, but she has more of an easygoing personality. She's still enjoying going back to school and stuff like that. They're both back in school this week. They have their Christmas concert tonight, and this week they're doing much better than last week," Chantelle said.
The family's animals, including cats and rabbits, remain on their acreage, and the Loewens return to care for them and their yard.
The loss of all of their Christmas gifts was tough for the kids and the family. However, they regrouped, and while this Christmas will be smaller, the Loewens are determined to celebrate. Chantelle noted that the Estevan Community Hamper Association and the Angel Tree were able to put them on their list for toys and a Christmas hamper, which was also appreciated.
For now, the Loewens are focused on rebuilding their lives and coping with the losses. They said they have almost everything they need right now, and don't need any major donations, but are very grateful for everything they received in the aftermath of the tragedy.
If any further needs arise or for updates on ways to support the family, community members can visit Let's Help the Loewen's Facebook page.
