Fire destroys home north of Calgary but can’t stop family wedding

A fire destroyed a home east of Balzac on Friday afternoon but it hasn’t stopped the family’s weekend wedding plans.

On Friday afternoon at around 3 p.m. fire broke out on the property where Nadyne Brost and Dustin Saxton’s wedding was to take place. Dustin’s sister was in the house with her two-week-old baby and managed to get out safely.

“Pretty tragic but I mean everybody worked together and everybody helped to make all this possible so it’s good,” Nadyne’s mother Bev Brost said.

As mother of the bride, Brost had a lot on her plate before the fire.

On Saturday morning, she was busy setting up for the wedding without electricity. The wedding reception was to take place in a building around 50 metres from the home that was destroyed by the fire. Fortunately, that building is still standing.

“We have no power but we are getting generators and other than that, we should be good,” Brost said.

Investigators with Rocky View County Fire Department said the blaze started after sparks from the fire pit blew over and ignited wood that was stored against the home’s vinyl siding.

District Fire Chief Dax Huba said this case  is a reminder of how easily fire can spread. He cautions against storing flammable material beside homes.

Adding to an already remarkable two days, the Rocky View Fire Department planned a special appearance at the wedding on Saturday afternoon with its fire trucks and staff.

As it turns out, all of Nadyne’s belongings were being stored in the basement of the fire-ravaged home. Brost said it appears most were destroyed.

But none of that matters to the family on the big day. They said the wedding is still rising from the ashes with plenty of help from friends and family who have come for the celebration.

“No worries,” Brost said. “The sun is shining and they’re getting married. It’s going to be a good day.”