WELLINGTON NORTH – An early morning fire destroyed a large building at JM Lumber and Pallet on Feb. 29.
No injuries have been reported.
A 911 call reporting a structure fire with visible flames came in around 4:36am on Thursday, according to Wellington North and Minto deputy fire chief Callise Loos.
Along with the early wake-up call, Wellington North Fire Services (WNFS) volunteer firefighters contended with difficult weather and firefighting conditions.
Rather than going on the offensive, firefighters took defensive positions “due to the conditions of the fire and the amount of combustible material in the building,” Loos explained in an email.
The building had a sawmill at one end with stacks of lumber at the other, and manufactured wooden skids.
At the fire’s peak, there were around 60 firefighters on scene, including volunteer firefighters from Minto and Mapleton, who responded to provide assistance and tanker truck support.
Stacks of burning lumber at JM Lumber and Pallet seen from Sideroad 4 in Wellington North on Feb. 29. Photo by Jordan Snobelen
Stacks of wood were still burning onThursday afternoon as heavy wind fanned the flames and carried smoke from the ruins across snow-covered fields.
Operations at the scene had “mostly wrapped up” by 1:30pm, according to Loos.
The Advertiser observed a single fire crew still at the scene watching over the flames shortly after 3pm as workers removed pieces of charred wood.
An excavator that will pull apart the scraps and charred remains was arriving at that time.
Fire officials do not consider the fire to be suspicious; the origin and cause have been determined to be around a wood furnace.
The building is totally destroyed, with damage estimated at around $2 million.
“WNFS sends caring thoughts to the owners and employees of the business affected by the fire,” Loos stated.
A man at the property did not wish to speak on record, but said he’s thankful nobody was hurt and despite the significant loss, the building can be replaced.
Stacks of lumber continued to burn at a Wellington North fire on the afternoon of Feb. 29. Photo by Jordan Snobelen
