GORE BAY—A quick response to a fire at the Woods Lane apartment building in Gore Bay by the Gore Bay/Gordon-Barrie Island volunteer fire department prevented adjacent apartments from being damaged in the blaze.
“We were able to contain the fire to one ground floor apartment,” said Duncan Sinclair, deputy chief of the fire department. The blaze started in the apartment bathroom and was contained there, except for smoke. “The tenant of the apartment was at a neighbouring apartment when the fire took place. There was smoke damage in the apartment and smoke got into some of the other apartments but we had our large fan to air them out so I don’t think there will be any lasting effects.”
Mr. Sinclair explained the fire department received the fire call at 10 am on July 24. As for a cause of the fire he said, “it would be speculation on our part, but no, we are not investigating the fire; we don’t believe it was suspicious.”
“All the residents self evacuated,” said Mr. Sinclair. “And when we were on the scene, we went from door to door of each apartment to bang on the doors and make sure that everyone was out of their apartment.”
The apartment where the blaze took place was deemed not safe to occupy. The fire department talked to Ontario Aboriginal Housing Service (OAHS), which is the landlord, representatives to have the apartment boarded until it is cleaned up.
“Yes, the (female) tenant of the apartment was displaced. One of the other residents offered to take her in until she is able to get back on her feet,” continued Mr. Sinclair. The resident lost almost everything she owned in the fire.
Manitoulin Family Resources sent in a care worker to assist the person whose apartment burned.
Dan Osborne, a local business owner and Gore Bay town councillor was the first person to see the apartment on fire. “I was next door doing an inspection and was walking in the laneway between where the old Larry Lane house is and where the apartment building is. I could see the smoke coming out of the one apartment unit. I banged on the window and door and no one was home. Then I called 911 while I went from door to door banging on the other apartment doors.”
Firefighters were on the scene of the blaze for about two-and-a-half hours, said Mr. Sinclair. “And two of the firefighters were on watch waiting for a representative of OAHS to attend the scene.”
The firefighters had to hook up to hydrants at Millsite Apartment building and run water hoses across the street. Water Street was cut off from vehicle traffic while firefighters put out the blaze.
It was pointed out that there were some concerns raised by several local residents as to the length of time it took firefighters to go into the building. While the incident commander asesses the situation the firefighters get their gear on, and then hook up the water hoses.
Mr. Osborne said, “this was the first time I have watched the fire department in action on the scene of a fire. They knew where the fire hydrant was that they needed to hook their lines to, which was across the street at Millsite. Everyone worked very well together, it was like clockwork. We definitely have a professional fire fighting team. Everything was perfect. I was very impressed. If there is a bright side to any of this it is fortunate the fire didn’t occur in the evening, or it might have been a much different outcome. The firefighters did a great job.”
