Fire destroys abandoned Wainfleet building
Wainfleet Fire and Emergency Services spent nearly five hours battling a fire at an abandoned building on Quarry Road Monday.
“It was well-involved,” said Chief Brad Bigrigg of what firefighters found upon their arrival just after 11 a.m. “It was very clear it would be a defensive operation.”
He said the fire was in the northwest corner of the block building, on the east side of the road south of Highway 3.
Smoke from the fire was visible from Port Colborne.
Mutual aid was called upon. Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services responded with a tanker and two firefighters. Water was constantly shuttled to the scene from a hydrant about three kilometres away on Highway 3 in Port Colborne.
“We had 15 volunteer firefighters on scene,” said Bigrigg, adding firefighters rotated in and out of the scene throughout the day. “The heat took a toll on the volunteers.”
An excavator was brought in to tear down the block structure, which had a steel roof and wooden trusses inside. Bigrigg said the roof was pulled off and the walls pulled down away from the structure to allow firefighters access to the blaze.
“There were a couple of drums inside that flashed off inside. The property owner and the Ministry of Environment are dealing with that,” said Bigrigg.
He said the fire is under investigation and estimated damage at somewhere between $50,000 and $60,000.