During what Boyle RCMP characterized as an intentionally set Boyle house fire on Feb. 8, a nearby citizen came to the aid of two cats that were inside the house.
Chris Chamaschuk saw smoke, went to investigate and found a house on fire on the west side of Highway 63 in the village.
A passerby stated the resident of the house had several cats.
“You never want to think of cats or dogs in a house on fire,” Chamaschuk said. “I went into the house and I couldn’t see much. I could see the flames in the kitchen to the right of me. I knew there was no point of me trying to go in there because there was no way for me to enter that room.”
Chamaschuk didn’t think twice.
“Smoke was billowing out the windows, and you could hear the glass breaking,” he said. “I was thinking this was horrible. I just walked in and did it.”
He stated the house had blankets covering the windows, so although it was 1 p.m. outside, it was dark in the house.
“The only option I had was to go straight ahead through the front door. There was a bedroom and a bathroom,” he said. “I went in, and I could see eyes glittering.”
He picked up the creature.
“I reached over a bed and I grabbed an orange cat. It thanked me for that — I have two nice scratches,” he said. “I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and carried him out.”
Chamaschuk stated he tried to cover his face with his shirt.
“I got the first cat out. We thought there were three or four cats in the house,” he said. “I went back in, and I still couldn’t see anything. I was trying to look around as fast as I could and called the cat.
“Here, kitty cat,” he said.
Chamaschuk looked under the bed and once more saw the glittering of eyes.
“It was right at the back. I had to crawl on my knees and stomach to reach the cat under the bed, which I can’t see. I got a hold of it and brought the cat out of the house,” he said. “I did go into the house a third time because I was told there were more cats.”
Chamaschuk later learned there were only two cats in the residence.
“I shook the bed and was trying to see if I could scare the cats. I was hoping that the cats would be scared enough to run out of the room and down the hallway and out the front door,” he said.
The house received severe fire damage and water damages.
Edward J. Haineault was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, arson and assault following the fire.
“Further investigation revealed the fire was set intentionally inside the residence after a dispute between two males,” Cst. John Spaans said. “Boyle RCMP executed a search warrant at the residence as a result of the fire, and with the assistance of a Fire Investigator on behalf of the Office of the Fire Commissioner combed through the residence to identify the cause and origin of the fire.”
Haineault appeared in Boyle Provincial Court last Tuesday and reserved his plea to Feb. 25.
