On August 16 various fire department crews responded to a house fire in Crossfield at 2:15 A.M.   

Carmen Steele-Tremblay, the mother of the family who was impacted by the fire, talked to DiscoverAirdrie about the house fire and the experience that came along with it.  

“My oldest son said he could see an orange glow coming through his window and looked out the window to see what it was and there was a fire. , he got up and started yelling.” 

The family was all sound asleep in the early morning hours, and at first, the mom brushed it off.  

“At 2 A.M., I was like whatever kiddo, stop being silly then he (Tucker) said no mom there’s an effing fire in the garage.” 

Tucker, the oldest son still persisted and Terry, the husband, and Carmen awoke and looked out the window. 

That’s when chaos ensued, Steele-Tremblay says.  

“You’ve practiced fire training all your life but when you’re actually in it, it’s a different story.” 

Steele-Tremblay recalls the havoc, fear and panic she felt in that moment. She said she was staring into her closet, yelling at her kids to get out of the house as she was trying to get dressed. During this time her husband had hopped out of bed to try to get the garden hose to spray it down, suffering burns as he tried to save the house from being engulfed. The family all got out of the house as the fire persisted, burning the house in front of them. 

The fire only took 10 minutes before it reached the back of the house to begin to overwhelm the property the family had called home since 1964. 

“For once in my life, I am thankful that my oldest son was still up and it’s the only time I have been thankful for video games because he was still up playing. If it wasn’t for him, we could have been in a situation where not everybody was safe” Steele-Tremblay said tearfully.  

The family is now divided as they reside in various families' households in Crossfield but hope to reunite in October. 

One of the most positive aspects of the house fire has been the community outreach and support that the Steele-Tremblay family encountered after the fire. 

“It’s been amazing. The people in our community have come together so much. They just want to help in any way possible, with essential needs, a place to stay, or even monetary donations. It’s been overwhelming.” 

Some locals have set up an account at ATB called “In Trust for the Steele Family”. All funds will be going to the family to help support them.  

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com