Fire destroys house in Crystal Beach
Tuesday night’s blaze leads to estimated $150,000 in damage
Fire has destroyed a house in Crystal Beach, causing an estimated $150,000 in damage, says Fire Chief Ed Melanson.
Melanson said the Fort Erie Fire Department received multiple calls about a structure fire at a home on Westwood Avenue at around 11 p.m. Tuesday.
He said a report came in that the homeowner had exited the single-detached, cottage-style house with her two dogs.
“When we arrived, the entire front third of the house was engulfed in flame, including a pick-up truck out front of the house,” said Melanson.
“Because we had a report with everybody outside, we were able to concentrate on the exterior and the exposures. There was no damage to anything else.”
He said fire crews did “an amazing job” to quickly knock down the fire using high-volume water, adding nobody sustained any injuries.
Melanson said the cause of the fire is being deemed accidental.
“If I was to put out a message (it would be) that it’s important that we don’t leave candles unattended,” he said, adding he believes that was the cause of the fire, but it’s not conclusive.
“Although I don’t believe this was an issue at this house, it’s always a good public-service message to make sure that you have working smoke and CO alarms.”