'A shame that a lot of it is gone': 100 year old Lethbridge garage destroyed by fire
An investigation is underway into the cause of a weekend fire that destroyed one garage, damaged a second, and melted the siding on a nearby house.
Fire crews from three stations responded to a report of a structure fire in the 1200 block of Fourth Avenue S. on Sunday afternoon.
“I heard a loud noise, sounded like an explosion,” said Dave Heatherington, an off-duty firefighter who discovered his neighbour’s garage ablaze when he went out to his backyard to investigate.
Crews arrived on scene and were met with visible smoke and flames coming from a single car garage.
Neighbouring homes on the south side of Fourth Avenue were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Heatherington — who is a platoon-chief with Lethbridge Fire and EMS — briefly joined in the firefighting effort by helping to connect a hose from the hydrant to one of the fire trucks.
The single car garage where the fire started was completely levelled in about 30 minutes.
Owner Jim Day said the structure was about 100 years old and had originally been used as a stable when his house was built in 1909.
“This is what’s lucky,” added Day, “My wife drove her car out and went shopping less than 20 minutes before the fire started.”
Platoon Chief Shawn Folk said it was fortunate that the wind was not blowing from the west.
“We had a little bit of a north wind,” said Folk. “It pushed toward the south side and caught a house just across the alley.”
The siding on the house was left scorched and blistered by the heat.
Day said the worst part was the damage the fire caused to his neighbours, including Heatherington’s garage next door.
“I know Dave and his brother-in-law have put in two years building that beautiful garage,” said Day. “It’s a shame that a lot of it is gone.”
Heatherington said it was not a big deal.
“It’s all just stuff that can be replaced,” he said, pointing out no one was injured and everyone managed to get their pets out safely.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.