Damage set at over $1-million in house fire

The OPP and the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office are investigating a large fire that destroyed a Mapleton home  and hangar-garage on Sunday.

Mapleton Fire Chief Rick Richardson said just before 4pm on Feb. 27 dispatchers received a call about a blaze at 7782 Wellington Road 11, just south of County Road 109, about 5km west of Arthur.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find the house and attached hangar-garage engulfed in flames.

Richardson said 33 Mapleton Township firefighters in total were involved, as well as nine firefighters from Wellington North’s Arthur station. The OPP also responded.

Richardson told the Wellington Advertiser firefighters at first tried to attack the blaze from inside the buildings, but were soon turned back by smoke and heat and resorted to an exterior attack.

“The wood trusses collapsed like dominoes,” Richardson said.

By about 6:30pm firefighters had “knocked down” or contained the fire, which Richardson said started in the hangar-garage. They continued to douse the remains of the buildings - the house was basically reduced to a concrete shell - throughout the next day.

The cause of the fire has not yet been identified, although  Richardson confirmed the Fire Marshall’s office was on the scene Monday.

The police issued a statement that “The County of Wellington OPP Crime Unit was also called to the scene to assist with the investigation ... [which] is continuing.”

Richardson said total damage from the blaze, which is the largest structure fire the Mapleton department has handled in about five years, is estimated at over $1-million.