Kelsey Gray, left, and Bradley George lost their home in an early morning fire on Tuesday in Coxheath. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentTwo Coxheath homes caught fire early Tuesday morning, with the investigation now in the hands of the province’s fire marshal.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentNo one was injured, but the blaze caused extensive damage to both houses on Leeside Drive, according to Craig MacNeil, deputy chief of Cape Breton Regional Fire and Emergency Services.Article contentArticle contentFor Kelsey Gray and Bradley George, owners of one of the damaged homes, it means rebuilding their lives after they moved into their single-storey residence nearly four years ago.Article contentArticle content“I just keep thinking, ‘We have to start over.’ We have the shoes on our feet, and I’m still in my nursing uniform,” said Gray, a nurse at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.Article content This Leeside Drive residence, owned by Kelsey Gray and Bradley George, caught fire early Tuesday morning in Coxheath. What caused the blaze is under investigation with the province’s Fire Marshal’s Office. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentNeither George, who is owner/carpenter at KYBRA Contracting, nor Gray knew what might have caused the blaze.Article content“I was working back shift (Monday) night, and (Brad) called me at 2:30 a.m. (Tuesday),” Gray said. “My son, my fiancé and my dog’s ashes are out of the house — and they were the only three things that I needed.”Article contentGray said her nearly 11-year-old dog, a Cane Corso English Mastiff, passed away on July 27 — the day before her son’s second birthday. Her ashes were on the console table in their living room, she said. Article contentEvacuated safelyArticle contentAs MacNeil explained, residents who happened to be in both Leeside Drive homes were evacuated safely.Article contentFire crews were dispatched to the blaze around 2:30 a.m., MacNeil said, “for what was initially an outside structure on fire, like a shed, which had also caught an adjacent truck and building.Article contentArticle content“Shortly after that, we realized that the fire had spread to the roof of a second building.”Article content This Leeside Drive house was also damaged due to a fire at a neighbouring home early Tuesday morning in Coxheath. Fire crews responded to what was initially a blaze at a structure near both homes on Leeside Drive, according to Cape Breton Regional Fire and Emergency Services deputy chief, Craig MacNeil. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentAn estimated 24 firefighters attended the scene — including crews from volunteer fire departments in Coxheath, Sydney River, Westmount, the main Sydney station, as well as MacNeil and tactical support from the CBRM, the regional deputy fire chief said.Article content“Both roofs are gone because (the fire) went into the eaves of both homes,” said MacNeil.Article contentFire crews battled the blazes until around 7 a.m. Tuesday, MacNeil said. Both homes are now taped off, with members of a security firm monitoring the scene.Article contentThe cause of the fire remains unknown, MacNeil said, as the investigation has been turned over to the Office of the Fire Marshal.Article content
Cape Breton couple safe after fire damages pair of Coxheath homes
