Grist Mill general manager Chris Mathieson was a vendor at the Keremeos Light Up Craft Fair at Victory Hall Saturday evening when he heard there was an active fire at the heritage site he manages.
“I high-tailed it out of the craft fair when I heard the words “fire” and “Grist Mill,” said Mathieson on Facebook.
The Grist Mill chicken coop was ablaze and all the chickens perished.
According to Keremeos fire chief Jordy Bosscha, a 10 foot by 12 foot coop was fully involved when they arrived Saturday evening. They had 10 firefighters who were able to put out the flames before the fire spread.
Eight runner ducks that shared the destroyed coop but weren’t in there at the time of the fire now need a temporary home, said Mathieson.
He is looking for “anyone with space to accept eight runner ducks until we can rebuild when the weather warms a little.”
