$500K blaze destroys Keene-area house
KEENE – A family dog and cat were rescued from a home destroyed by fire late Monday morning just west of Keene.
The news provided a silver lining for a family off our who were out when the blaze ripped through the bungalow at 1194 McGregor Bay Rd. There were anxious moments as the pets were not discovered until more than an hour after firefighters arrived.
“(The dog) walked to the car and got in to go to the vet,” Otonabee South Monaghan fire Chief Ted Bryan said later, noting both animals – which were given oxygen – should be OK.
One firefighter, who could be seen being helped to his feet after spraying water on the flames while seated in the grass, was checked by paramedics and taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for further assessment. He was released later in the afternoon, Bryan said.
The cause and origin of the fire, which was first reported at about 11:15 a.m., were not known as of late Monday afternoon.
The chief contacted the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office for assistance in the probe – not for any particular reason, but simply because there are more questions than answers, he said. An investigator arrived shortly before 5:30 p.m.
Bryan had earlier noted the damaged building would be a total loss and later estimated insured damage would be in the $500,000 range.
Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting out of the roof of the structure, Bryan told media at the scene earlier, pointing out that quickly deteriorating conditions made it unsafe for them to enter the building and prompted a defensive attack.
A towering plume of smoke from the blaze could be seen from as far away as Peterborough.
Firefighters, who brought the fire under control before noon hour, stopped flames from advancing to the attached garage, which remained intact. The roof collapsed in the central part of the home soon after they arrived – a red brick chimney towered above the gaping hole.
Fire crews could be seen removing items including a boat, trailer and ATV, bicycles and other belongings from the garage to prevent them from being damaged. A total of about 30 firefighters attended the fire, Bryan said.
Neighbour Taryn Rollins goes to school with the two daughters who live there with their mother and father, dog and cat. It was a shock but she was grateful that no one was hurt in the blaze, which caught her attention while she was inside.
“I just looked out my window and I could see the fire,” she said.
Emotions ran high as family members returned home. Area residents who gathered to watch the fire extinguishing effort unfold offered comforting embraces.
Traffic was first reduced to one lane on the rural dirt road as firefighters shuttled water to the address just north of County Rd. 2 and south of Base Line, before Peterborough County OPP completely closed the road for a period of time.
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