Forest, Ont. loses historic downtown building to fire
A local fire chief says a million-dollar fire in a historic building in downtown Forest could have been far worse.
Laurence Swift, of the Lambton Shores Fire Department, says crews fought a stubborn battle with flames beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Several kilometres away a plume of smoke could be seen pouring from the century-old yellow brick building.
By morning, only its shell and bits of woods and brick remained.
“It’s pretty well burnt out on the inside. It’s unlikely to be restored,” Swift told CTV News London at the scene.
Thankfully no one was injured.
The building had been vacant, save for a ground-floor real estate office.
Swift says more than 60 firefighters, including crews from Petrolia and Exeter, assisted in the fight.
Initially, it took one hour to get the fire under control.
However, Swift says about two hours later, an aerial unit opened up the roof.
“We ended up with a big surprise.”
The flames kicked up again.
“The compartment was obviously filled with a high-energy amount of smoke and flames but it had no oxygen. When we opened up the area we introduced oxygen to it and the fire started going again.”
Once again, fears of losing the entire block motivated crews.
Swift says they keep most of the fire damage to the one building and protected the ornate Victorian building abutting it on one side.
Forest resident Ken Cable watched the battle, “It was tough to put out. They worked on that one for a long-time.”
Joanne Hobbs is also thankful the downtown she’s known for decades remains largely intact. Yet, she still she mourns losing another piece of its history.
“It’s a tough way for the community to come together.”
While surveying what is left, Swift concurred, “Losing a building in a downtown core is hard for any community. They’re gaps that often aren’t filled once the buildings are gone.”
The cause is undetermined but Swift says an electrical issue is the most likely culprit.
The building is likely to be knocked down for safety.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
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.
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.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
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.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
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.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'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.