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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.