by Phil Gravelle
ERIN – A suspicious overnight fire on the 3rd Line of Erin completely destroyed an old sawmill that housed some fond memories for its owners.
“I was shocked,” said Josie Wintersinger.
“It just went up like a bonfire. There’s a lot of sentimental value there, and that’s what hurts.”
The former town councillor, along with her husband Albert, owns the sawmill property as well as the nearby Wintersinger’s Tree Farm. Their home is across the road.
In 1973, the couple used the sawmill to cut the lumber used to build their farm buildings.
Town of Erin Fire Chief Jim Sawkins said the fire is considered suspicious because there was no electricity or other sources of ignition in the building.
He said there had been vandalism and recent graffiti in one of the rooms. Ontario Provincial Police were on the scene to investigate.
The fire was spotted by neighbours just before midnight, and the building was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
“We had to just let it burn,” said Sawkins.
There were 24 firefighters on scene, and some continued to monitor the smouldering ruins through the morning. There were no injuries, and there is no estimate of the damage.
About $6,000 worth of sawn lumber was burned.
The antique sawmill equipment was sold and removed several years ago.
The Wintersingers had no insurance on the building.
They said there have been signs of unauthorized people using the building, along with broken windows and stolen tools and lumber.
