Fire chief said there was quick response to Stratford, P.E.I. fire
STRATFORD, P.E.I. — The chief of the Cross Roads Fireplace Division stated he knew straight away that the blaze which occurred on Oct. 17 was going to require further assist.
“I referred to as for mutual help earlier than I even obtained to the fireplace corridor,” Kevin Reynolds informed SaltWire Community on Oct. 18 in entrance of the charred stays of an 18,000-square-foot constructing that had burnt to the bottom on Mason Highway.
Reynolds stated his path to the fireplace corridor from his home took him by the scene of the fireplace. The chief had his radio with him and instantly referred to as in mutual help.
The Charlottetown Fireplace Division Station 2 and Vernon River Fireplace Division each responded to the decision which got here in at 1:36 p.m. In whole, about 70 firefighters have been on the scene by way of a lot of the afternoon and night.
Firefighters from the Cross Roads division could be on website for about 14 hours.
“We have been on scene inside 5 minutes of the decision coming in with our pumper.”
Enormous fireplace hose strains shortly lined the economic portion of Mason Highway.
The constructing was dwelling to the P.E.I. Attain Basis, which helps youth recovering from habit and psychological well being points. There have been about 14 workers and shoppers within the constructing on the time the fireplace broke out.
The constructing additionally housed landscaping firm Earthform, a pottery studio and a portray enterprise.
Reynolds stated everybody obtained out of the constructing safely.
He stated the fireplace offered challenges within the first few hours.
Reynolds stated the constructing, which had a wooden body development, had metal cladding on the edges and roof, so it wasn’t protected to place firefighters on the roof to combat the fireplace from there.
“The constructing (when firefighters arrived) was actually shortly deteriorating. We may inform with our thermal imaging cameras that the roof was absolutely engulfed. We simply needed to enable it to burn itself up a bit so we may entry the attic house to hit it,” Reynolds stated.
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— Dave Stewart (@DveStewart) October 17, 2022
The veteran of 20 years with the Cross Roads division stated it was positively one of many greater fires he’s been a part of.
“We’ve had fires of comparable measurement. We have been down in Vernon River final December for a giant fireplace on the mussel plant down there that we helped with. And, we’ve accomplished some massive agricultural buildings (however) not business buildings like this (which have) totally different occupancies. There have been actually some challenges with this one.”
Reynolds stated a lot of the firefighters that responded remained on the scene till about 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. Nevertheless, firefighters with the Cross Roads division stayed put to deal with scorching spots till 4 a.m. on Oct. 18.
It was at the moment that the fireplace scene was handed over to the provincial fireplace marshal’s workplace.
No trigger for the fireplace has been launched but.
Dave Stewart is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He will be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @DveStewart.
