Fire officials are blaming an electrical fire that destroyed a workshop at a local business on last Friday’s wind storm.
Centre Wellington Fire and Rescue deputy chief Jonathan Karn said fire crews were called on May 4 at 7:20pm to a structure fire at Stella-Jones (formerly Guelph Utility Pole Company) on Wellington Road 22 in the south end of Centre Wellington.
Karn explained a single-storey attached to a barn was destroyed, “but firefighters prevented the spread into the two-storey barn.”
During the call, the business owners were on scene, as were members of the OPP and GWPS (Guelph Wellington Paramedic Service).
Fergus and Elora tankers were called in, as were tankers from Rockwood and the city of Guelph.
Karn estimated fire crews were on the scene for about four hours at Stella-Jones, which manufactures pressure treated wood products including utility poles.
Karn said the fire appears to have started where the electrical service wire fed the workshop. An employee spotted the fire and called it in.
“It is not being considered suspicious at this time and is being listed as electrical in nature due to the storm,” said Karn.
