Church on Cowessess First Nation destroyed by fire

Fire destroyed the church on Cowessess First Nation on Nov. 14, 2018. (CREDIT: KAHKEWISTHAW FIRE DEPARTMENT)

The Sacred Heart Catholic Church on the Cowessess First Nation has been destroyed by fire.

According to Chief Cadmus Delorme, the building caught fire around 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning, and by 6 a.m. the structure had burned to the ground.

Volunteers and firefighters from Cowessess First Nation and Kahkewistahaw First Nation responded to the blaze.

Clinton Bobb, a senior firefighter with the Kahkewistahaw fire department, said two trucks were sent to the fire.

“Just when we got into the valley, a couple miles away from the subdivision, we noticed a very bright light,” he told CTV News. “It just lit up the whole night.”

“When we pulled up to the scene, the church was full engulfed in flames.”

Bobb said firefighters weren’t able to put out the blaze completely due to a limited water supply.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

It is the only church on the first nation.