Structure fire in Dingwells Mills causes highway closure

DINGWELLS MILLS – A structure fire caused the Kings District RCMP to temporarily block part of Route 2, about 15 km west of Souris, on Wednesday night.

Three fire departments responded to the fire between 8 and 9 p.m. on April 21, including from Souris, St. Peters and Central Kings.

Donnie Aitken, deputy chief of Souris Fire Department, said the fire took about three hours to put out and the damage was extensive.

"It was a resident’s house," he told The Guardian. No injuries were reported. The building's owner didn't arrive at the scene until fire crews were leaving, Aitken said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the provincial Fire Marshal's Office.

The highway was blocked between routes 4 and 309, so motorists were asked to detour while fire crews tended to the situation. The highway was reopened as of 11 p.m.