The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
A blaze that struck an older Queen Street home yesterday likely originated with an electrical problem in the attic. That's what Fire Chief Jim Petrie concluded after examining the charred structure, which he said is not salvageable. "The attic was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene," said Petrie. "When the home owner noticed it, he already saw flames coming out of the attic." Firefighters rushed to the scene shortly before 11 a.m., spending the next three and a half hours dousing the heavy flames and ensuring all hot spots were drowned. The crew saved valuables in the house by laying down tarps, which protected the items from water damage. No one was in the home at the time of the fire. The homeowner spotted the flames from his garage. Had another ten minutes gone by without the fire being reported, Petrie believes the blaze would have consumed the entire house, not just the upper portion. Firefighters received a couple of welcome surprises during their time at the scene. A thoughtful neighbour brought the crew some fresh coffee and one firefighter's wife stopped by with two pizzas. "That was greatly appreciated," said Petrie.
