A dog died in a devastating house fire near Big Bay Point Road in Innisfil Thursday night.
Emergency crews were called to a report of a blaze in the northeastern area of the town May 9 at around 7:40 p.m. Once on scene, Innisfil Fire and Rescue personnel noticed heavy smoke and flames coming from the residence.
Fire Chief Brent Thomas says the home was set back “a ways off” the road, so it wasn’t noticeable to neighbours or passersby and only discovered when the occupant returned home from work.
“We did an offensive attack and were able to knock the fire down,” Thomas told InnisfilToday. “However, the damage is extensive. It made a lot of progress before it was noticed.”
Unfortunately, one pet dog succumbed to its injuries. However, two others did escape.
No humans were in the residence at the time.
The fire is not considered suspicious. But damage is estimated at about $800,000 and the home is now deemed uninhabitable, Thomas said.
Firefighters have yet to confirm the exact origins and cause, though Thomas did “caution all residents that they safely use alternate heating sources other than your approved HVAC system.”
While there can be water supply and access complexities when battling a fire in a house set that far back from the road, this wasn’t the case here, he said.
“Our only complexity is how close is the water … where is the hydrant (and) if we have to pump water in using portable tanks and tankers,” Thomas said.
