Lightening strike levels home on Buck Bay Road

Jeff Green | Oct 21, 2015

Buck Tibbitt is a cabinet maker and contractor who lives on Buck Bay Road just south of Parham. Last Thursday afternoon (October 15th) he was working at a home near Parham about a 15 minute drive from his house. At about 5:15 PM that day a fierce electrical storm passed overhead.

“I was working and noticed the storm at that time and stopped to watch it,” he recalled.

An hour later, he packed up his tools and went home for the day. He didn't notice anything amiss, even after he turned onto his kilometre long driveway. But when he came over the final small hill just before his house, all he saw was flames.

“There were a couple of posts and some roofing tin still standing on a small section of the front porch but aside from that, everything else was gone”, he said, “The only form that was recognizable was the shape of my piano as it burned."

The South Frontenac fire department had been called in at 6:18 by neighbours who saw black smoke coming from the property.

“The fire department arrived 10 or 15 minutes after I did and hozed down the charred remains for almost three hours. When they checked it and saw that there were still some hot spots, they continued pumping water on it for another hour,” Buck said.

Two dogs were in the house at the time of the fire; Buck's 13 year old dog Pettibone and Davis, a younger dog that Buck had recently adopted from his niece Maple. It is presumed that both dogs died in the fire.

Tibbitt, who lives alone, lost all of his belongings, including custom furniture and objects that he designed and built over the years. He is a musician and a member of the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra and his extensive collection of guitars and other musical instruments and gear were also destroyed in the fire.

A workshop on the property was untouched by the fire and the wood that had been stacked along the south wall of the house for the coming winter was charred but otherwise intact. Buck said, “The only thing that didn't burn was the fricking firewood.”

Deputy chief Tom Veldman who attended the fire scene said the cause of the fire would be categorized as “undetermined/possible lightening strike”.

It has only been a few days since the fire, but Tibbitt said he hopes to be rebuilding next spring.

Funds are being collected through a few means to help that happen. Cheques payable to the Frontenac News with the name Buck Tibbitt on the memo line can be sent to Box 229 Sharbot Lake, K0H 2P0. Interac e-transfers can be sent directly to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.