'We could have had a disaster,' Reeve of Manitoba community thanks volunteer firefighters

It took seven hours and a pot of chili, but volunteer firefighters were able to quell a large fire in a home's garage in Treherne, Man. Fridaybefore it spread into the rest of thesouthwest Manitoba community, the municipality's reeve says.

The fire started around 4 p.m. in a double-storey garage behind a home atthe corner of Cypress Avenue and South StreetinTreherne,about 115 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.

Craig Spencer, the reeve of the Municipality of Norfolk Trehernewas making a pot of chili when he noticed the smoke coming from his neighbour's home. He alerted the fire department, and went out to make sure everyone was safe.

Spencer said the garage was filled with old lumber and coal, which fed the fire. It took about seven hours to put the blaze out, he said.

No one was injured in the blaze.

Spencer credits the work of the volunteer Treherne, Holland, and Rathwell Fire Departments with saving not only his neighbouring house, butthe entire town.

"We could have had a disaster in this town if the firefighters weren't so good at what they did," Spencer said.

"The way the wind was it was taking it further south...and it's house after house after house at that point."

Spencer says the chili he was making at the time the fire broke out didn't go to waste -- he served it up to the fire crews.

"My neighbour has a heated garage...I took (the chili)over there and we had soup and buns and coffee and tried to keep warm," he said.

Spencer said his neighbour's home is not livable after the fire, but added his neighbour isable to stay with his son. They hope insurance will cover the disaster.

Roads near the area of South Street and Cypress Avenue were flooded with water during the firefighting efforts, and that water has since frozen over,causing slippery conditions.

Spencer said the community is working on sanding roads, but residents should still approach with caution.