Firefighters recall L'Isle-Verte residents' desperate cries for help

Firefighters called to the deadly blaze in LIsle-Verte, Que., in January met a wall of fire when they arrived at the seniors home, conditions that proved too dangerous to attempt to rescue some of the elderly residents trapped inside, a coroner's inquest heardTuesday.

• Fire chief's response to deadlyL'Isle-Verteseniors' residence blaze questioned

• L'Isle-Vertefire responsecriticisedat coroner's inquest

• L'Isle-Verte fire survivors describe narrow escape

Five men, some with decades of experience, told the inquest they didn't attemptto save anyone from the older section of the Rsidence du Havre.They said the flames rose from what was the dining room and kitchen towards the roof.

One firefighter, Jean-YvesDub, 67,recalled hearing people on balconies yelling, "Save us, save us."

"If it had been a movie on television, we would have saved them all,"saidDub.

Even firefighter Jean-Guy Ct, whose own mother was inside the residence, said there was "toomuch smoke" when he arrived at the scene of the fire to attempt to save her.Nolla Pettigrew, 87, was one of the 32 people who diedthat night.

The coroners inquest into the deadly fire at theRsidenceduHavre heard testimony from several members of the local fire department,including the highly anticipated account of Fire Chief YvanCharron.

Earlier this morning,Charrontold coronerCyrilleDelgehe he didn't immediately callin reinforcements for the massive fire at theseniors' home, because it didn't occur to him. In the past, he normally called for reinforcements once he arrived at the scene, he said.

When he arrived, he expected the evacuation of theRsidenceduHavreto be underway.

Charronsaid he didnt think some of the residents would still be asleep in bed in their rooms, possibly medicated.

'You have to set the example'

The firefighters who testified today told the inquest that Charronis a "natural leader" and that they always knew what they should be doing.

Charron faced criticism from previous witnesses because he never established a command post to issue orders, and he only called in reinforcements 19 minutes after the initial 911 call.

Normand Morin, an officer with the nearbySt-loi fire department, who was also called to the fire, said he was "surprised"Charron never put on his respirator.

"As chief, you have to be an example,"said Morin, the 39thwitness to testify at the inquest.

Charron told the coroner he didnt want to take the "minute, minute and a half"to put on his respirator because it would take time away from saving lives.

Charron also said his "mind was not as clear" as possible when he was awakened that night. He told the coroner he was used to "getting a call, going to a call."

And he thought that night if he could "just save one person"that night, it would be enough.

People were left on their own-Christian Chnard-Guay, co-ordinator for fire safety for theRivire-du-Loupregion

On the fourth day of the inquest, the co-ordinator for fire safety in the region had harsh words for the fire departments response.

People were left to their own devices, Christian Chnard-Guay told coroner Cyrille Delge.

Chnard-Guay testified about a fire chiefs responsibilities when a high-risk building such as a seniors' residence catches fire.

He said the fire chief must call for help from other fire departments immediately, and a command post has to be set up to co-ordinate efforts to put out the flames.