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
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
NEW 'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.