GORE BAY—Thanks to the quick response by the Gore Bay volunteer fire department and the town public works crew, along with the report coming in from members of the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), a fire at the town’s brush pile behind the Gore Bay Curling Club didn’t get totally out of control and spread to the nearby bush.
“I received a fire call early this morning from the fire dispatch, through a report they received from the OPP,” said Mike Addison, Gore Bay Fire Chief last Friday morning. “It was reported the fire was at 17 Range Street behind the Gore Bay Curling Rink.”
“When I got to the scene of the fire there were two police officers on hand,” said Mr. Addison. “I was concerned the fire could spread into the trees, so I called Roger Chenard (Town of Gore Bay town foreman) and he had town public works employee Wyatt Dearing to attend the scene, and using a backhoe, move the burn pile further away from the tree area.” He pointed out the town’s burn pile is far removed from the curling club.
“When I talked to Roger (Chenard) he pointed out the town public works hadn’t lit the burn pile,” said Mr. Addison. The latter arrived on the scene of the fire at about 3:20-3:25 am. “By then it was burning good—the flames were about 30 feet in the air.”
The firefighters, “protected the back side of the property so the flames would not get into the tree area,” said Mr. Addison.
“At this point we don’t know who lit the burn pile,” continued Mr. Addison. “You can’t just light a match to the fire because it is too damp, and once it gets going it dries everything out. I believe it was intentionally set.”
Mr. Addison noted the town put out a report on the fire on its website. “The Gore Bay Fire Department responded to a call this morning regarding a brush fire at the town’s burn pile behind the curling club. Thanks to the swift action of the fire department and public works the fire is under control and everyone is safe. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
“The pile may be smouldering for a few days and there may be some smell of smoke in the air.”
Mr. Addison said over the past 13-day period the fire department has responded to four fire calls, three at the Manitoulin Lodge Nursing Home in Gore Bay, all false alarms due to a false alarm which has now been repaired. As well the firefighters responded (as did Hydro One) to a transformer fire on Thorburn Street in Gore Bay.
