Last Thursday, Feb. 8 was a hectic one for members of the Whitewater Region Fire Department.
First came a 5 a.m. call to provide a tanker response as part of a mutual aid agreement with Horton Township.
“Crews supported Horton Fire Department until 8 a.m. with water shuttle as well as the use of a portable pump,” said Fire Chief Jonathan McLaren in an email interview.
Then, just before 10 a.m., Station 3 was paged to a reported chimney fire on Grants Settlement Road.
“First arriving crews found smoke showing from the attic space and requested more resources to combat the fire,” said McLaren.
Firefighters and apparatus from all five Whitewater stations attended to extinguish the fire by 1:30 p.m. Officials determined the fire had originated in the chimney and spread to the roof before the arrival of fire crews.
“There was considerable time and effort spent on salvage operations concurrent with firefighting, this included covering furniture and other valuables with tarps to prevent water damage from firefighting operations and future inclement weather,” said McLaren. “The house was heavily damaged by the fire and is currently uninhabitable.”
There were no injuries to civilians or pets, however, the chief noted one firefighter received minor injuries and was assessed by Renfrew County Paramedics who were on scene.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)
