A house is destroyed after multiple fire stations were called to a structure fire near Farewell south of Mount Forest.
Firefighters from the Arthur, Mount Forest, Palmerston and Harriston fire stations responded to multiple 911 calls shortly after 9am on Feb. 4.
No one was home at the time of the fire, but the house is a total loss, explained Wellington North Fire Chief Dave Guilbault.
He explained he arrived on the scene to find heavy smoke coming from the front and rear of the house.
Guilbault said he called off firefighters when he determined there was too much smoke and he was unsure if the floors of the house were safe.
“We’re not putting any firefighters in because there’s been a partial collapse from the first floor. It’s a bungalow but the first floor has collapsed into the basement,” he said.
The homeowners were notified of the fire, which caused an estimated $325,000 worth of damage.
Multiple fire calls
Wellington North Fire Services have been busy recently, with five calls in less than 48 hours.
On Feb. 3, the Mount Forest station was called to a freight trailer fire in neighbouring Southgate Township. Guilbault suspects the fire was deliberately set and he said the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office and OPP are investigating the suspected arson.
On Feb. 2, the Mount Forest station was called to help extinguish an accidental fire in a utility shed in Southgate Township. The building was destroyed.
On the same say, the fire service was called to an “unauthorized, uncontrolled burn” in Wellington North. Guilbault explained there are charges pending for that fire.
While firefighters were battling the Feb. 4 house fire, the Arthur firefighters also attended a carbon monoxide alarm call that resulted in one person being taken to hospital.
