CENTRE WELLINGTON – A detached workshop at a house on Sideroad 5, west of Elora, was destroyed by fire on Tuesday.
Damage has been estimated at $150,000, said Centre Wellington deputy fire chief Jonathan Karn, who noted the call came in at around 9am on Feb. 26.
When firefighters arrived on the scene the building was “well involved with fire,” said Karn. He was told “the homeowner was trying to extinguish the fire prior to our arrival.”
Woolwich fire department’s Floradale station team was already battling the flames when the Centre Wellington crews arrived.
Approximately 50 firefighters in total were dispatched from five stations: Elora, Fergus, Floradale, St. Jacobs and Elmira.
Karn said the fire is not being treated as suspicious. He added the building is a wooden structure with a heater that was being used, but the cause of the fire is undetermined.
The roof of the 1.5-storey structure, which measures about 40 by 80 feet, collapsed in on itself, taking down the top half-level and closing off access to the fire below. Heavy equipment was needed to pull apart the rest of the structure.
No injuries were sustained at the fire, though Karn noted weather conditions remained a minor concern.
“We are having a little bit of a challenge today … [it’s] still fairly cold and very windy and blowy out here right now, making some very icy conditions, so that’s definitely a bit of a challenge right now with things icing up,” said Karn.
“… We have to be a little more careful for slips and falls and whatnot for our firefighters; making sure hose lines don’t freeze – things like that.”
The building was insured for $150,000 including its contents.
