Aylmer residents praise exhausted firefighters
Emergency services in Aylmer, particularly the fire department, are having an exhausting week.
As crews still cope with the aftermath of a major downtown fire, another blaze destroyed a home under construction.
At 2:35 a.m. on Friday, a 911 call sent multiple engines to a nearly completed structure on Aspen Parkway — the street is inside a new subdivision.
“When crews arrived, the upper storey was completely involved. Very little fire on the first level,” Chief Todd McKone told CTV London.
The home, which had not yet been occupied, is a total loss with damage estimated at $1-million.
The fire has been deemed suspicious. Aylmer Police and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office (OFM) are investigating.
Firefighters cleared the scene around 9 a.m., the same time salvage crews arrived at the site of the downtown fire.
For now, they are only cleaning up debris around the portions of the building which still stand.
As a result, Talbot Street from John to Queen Streets remains closed.Anne Harder operated a business inside a century building destroyed by fire in downtown Aylmer, Ontario. March 24, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
Anne Harder was watching the cleanup at the backside of the building.
She owns a now-destroyed accounting business. Its office was on the ground floor.
Harder told CTV News London she was inside the burning building Monday around 8:15 p.m. when suddenly, another tenant told her to get out quickly.
“And then it all happened from there. It went downhill,” she said.
But like many in Aylmer, Harder reflects on the compassionate work of firefighters. She said one prevented her from going back to get documents still inside the building.
“He convinced me not to run back in for anything. He was very reassuring and supporting,” said Harder.
On Friday, as salvage crews handed over tax files that survived the blaze, Harder continued her accolades.
But she is not alone.
Bob Nesbitt speaks highly of the Aylmer fire department after two major fires in recent days. March 24, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)Town resident Bob Nesbitt, a one-time volunteer firefighter, also had kind words.
“We’ve got a great fire department. There is no doubt about it. Also, the surrounding areas, we want to thank them for coming to help us out,” said Nesbitt.
Still, Nesbitt and a collective chorus of Aylmer residents are hopeful the string of fires is over.
“Get things back to normal, that’s what we need," Nesbitt said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.