Cleanup continues at Green Diamond
Investigation could take weeks
The cleanup and investigation continued Monday at the rubble-strewn site of Green Diamond Equipment Ltd. in Sherbrooke. The John Deere dealer and outfitting company burned to the ground Saturday morning, causing millions of dollars in damages. The only thing left standing Monday was part of the storefront’s first and second floor, the company name still hanging green and proud on the marquee. Summerside Fire Chief Jim Peters reported that crews had to be called back to the site three times between when crews left after the original fire and Monday. Representatives from a number of provincial and private agencies have been on site throughout the weekend. Their priority has been removing and accounting for the significant amount of ammunition and firearms that had been buried by the collapsing structure. Provincial Fire Marshall David Rossiter said that by noon Monday, searchers had secured about 200 long-guns and restricted firearms and a good amount of ammunition from the debris. The RCMP took possession of the weapons temporarily until the owner could make arrangements to store them properly. The provincial firearms officer was also involved, ensuring all the weapons were accounted for.
Their priority in securing the weapons was more out of a concern that they would be stolen than of them going off or exploding, said Rossiter. “It made this scene a whole lot more complicated, it added a whole other different level over it because we wanted to ensure that none of the inventory that was in here was able to leave the property unknowingly,” he said.
That work didn’t finish until late Monday morning. Investigators can now focus on trying to determine what caused the fire. On that, Rossiter had no comment, other than to say he would be conducting interviews Monday afternoon, Tina Sears, CEO of Green Diamond Equipment Ltd. told media over the weekend that the fire was initially noticed by a technician who got everyone out of the building. It could be weeks before a cause might be found, said Rossiter, if one can be found at all given the level of destruction the fire wrought on the building.