by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
WHITEWATER REGION (Haley Station) — The interior of the former Ross Mineview School, now home to Warrior Gear and Mountain Surf, was destroyed by fire Friday afternoon.
Whitewater Region fire chief Jonathan Wilker noted at 2:07 p.m., the 911 call came in about a structure fire on Magnesium Road. All five fire stations responded. A tanker from Horton Township was on scene until the Westmeath tanker, coming the furthest, arrived on scene he said. He said about 40 firefighters responded.
As the fire blazed on the east side of the building in one area, smoke was sneaking out from under the eaves of the roof the full length of the building.
Kristin D’Aoust was driving by when she “got a funny feeling” seeing steam coming out of the windows. She took a drive around the building and still wasn’t convinced it was safe to go.
She stopped at the front of the building and tried to look in the windows. Not able to see anything, but possibly smoke, she put a hand against the window.
“It was so hot,” she recalled. “I called 911. I told them I wasn’t sure if it was a full-blown fire.”
While waiting for the fire department, the flames burst through the windows on the side of the building where the soccer yard once was, she said.
Chief Wilker said it took until 11 p.m. to get the fire under con
trol, and he left the scene at 2 a.m.
“There were so many hot spots,” he said.
Half the building was affected by fire and the other half by smoke, he said. He is not sure if it will have to be torn down – that’s a decision for the insurance people to determine, he noted.
Chief Wilker noted the facility hasn’t been used as a school for many years, and the interior, while it has been renovated a bit since Warrior Gear moved in, pretty much remained the same with various rooms inside. He noted renovations included creating two apartments, one in the front, which was destroyed, and another in the back, which suffered smoke/water damage.
He said no one was at the facility at the time of the fire and the pets, two cats and a dog, were not in the building at the time.
While there was a firewatch at the scene overnight Friday, the OPP were on security detail Saturday night.
The fire investigators were there from the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office Saturday and Sunday, he said. It was deemed the fire was accidental, Chief Wilker said, adding, the scene has now been released to the insurance company.
John Mason, owner of Mountain Surf, said he and John Laporte, owner of Warrior Gear, have yet to decide what’s going to happen. He noted Wednesday was the first day they were actually allowed into the building for a look around.
He believes Warrior Gear is a total loss, while about half of his own business was destroyed.
“I don’t know how we’re going to move forward, but we will,” Mr. Mason said.
Along with being thankful to the firefighters for doing what they could, they are both thankful to the armed forces and kayaking communities for the much-needed support since Friday.
