CENTRE WELLINGTON – When fire officials received a call early on April 25 for “multiple explosions” and flames at Highland Pines Campground, they feared the worst.
It turned out there was a fire outside the campground shop, but the explosions were in fact the sound of vehicle tires “popping” from the heat, explained deputy fire chief Jonathan Karn.
“It looked spectacular, but it wasn’t that bad at the end of the day,” Karn told the Advertiser.
However, a dump truck and a front-end loader were destroyed and an overhang on the shop, under which the vehicles were parked, received minor damage.
A nearby homeowner called police at about 2:40am and the OPP in turn called the Centre Wellington fire department to respond to the property, located at Wellington Road 19 and the 5th Line.
The fire was “quickly extinguished,” said Karn, noting about 26 firefighters from the Fergus and Elora stations responded to the call.
They were back at their stations by about 5am.
Deputy chief Tom Mulvey confirmed later in the day that the fire is considered suspicious and the damage is estimated at about $200,000.
The OPP is investigating, Mulvey said.
Submitted photos
