Blaze guts vacant Welland Ave. house
Firefighters from St. Catharines had a busy morning extinguishing a blaze at a house on Welland Avenue Wednesday.
Four trucks from three stations were dispatched to the fire at 210 Welland Ave. at 7:30 a.m. that sent thick black smoke into the air. Firefighters had to demolish part of the building while fighting the fire.
Welland Avenue between Geneva and Niagara streets was closed during the fire and remained closed for an investigation.
Firefighters found a man outside of the home when they arrived suffering from burn injuries. He was treated by EMS and was transported to hospital with “nonlife threatening injuries.”
“It was a vacant, two-storey residential occupancy,” Deputy Fire Chief Jeff McCormick said.
“Our fire prevention division will be tasked with determining the origin and cause. They will provide a damage estimate. They will contact the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office.”
Fire departments are obligated to contact the Fire Marshal’s Office under certain circumstances. It’s then up to the provincial office to decide if it will respond, McCormick said.
There was no damage estimate immediately available, the fire department said.
The property is neighboured by a Tim Hortons restaurant and the future home of the Niagara Regional Police St. Catharines detachment. For more photos and a video, visit our website at stcatharinesstandard.ca