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 (Clarence-Rockland, Monday, May 27, 2013) Our local fire department had a busy time to start the week.
First they got a call of a car on fire near the intersection of Canaan Road and Colonial Road. As it turned out,
the vehicle was actually on the Ottawa side of the border, but as often happens when an incident occurs on the
line between the two cities, the first responders looked after the call. The vehicle was a total loss, and remained
on the side of the road for a spell after the flames were put out.
Fighting fires in rural areas can be a challenge especially for providing enough water. As you
can see by this photo, 2400 Guindon (the first driveway on the right, near the corner of du
Golf Road) is isolated with no fire hydrants close by. (Photo - Google Maps)
The second call was more serious. At approximately 2:30 p.m. a report came in of a house fire
at 2400 Guindon Road, just south of Du Golf Road and a little northeast of Hammond. A spokesperson for the C-R
Fire Department (CRFD) told the Canaan Connexion that billowing smoke could be seen some distance away even as
the responded to the address. By the time the first two vehicles arrived, the house was "fully involved".
There was no opportunity for fire crews to enter the house or indeed to save it. (As our photo shows, the home
and contents were completely destroyed.
Charred wood and tangled metal was all that remained of a log home on Guindon Road.
Click on pic to enlarge. (Photo - Patrick Meikle)
This fire needed lots of water and the two tankers from the CRFD were emptied within ten minutes.
Given the nature and location of the fire, tankers and pumpers were called in from Limoges and Ottawa. Providing
water is a challenge in non-hydrant (rural) areas.
The initial response team included eight firefighters and three vehicles. At the height of the
fire there were approximately 30 firefighters and eight vehicles. The firefighters had to work with imminent danger
as the walls of the structure collapsed. It took about four hours to put the fire out.
 The Ottawa Sun reported that "Heavy smoke
was visible for kilometres in all directions as crews battled the mid-afternoon blaze." They quoted deputy
chief Alain Hupe as saying the home is "a total loss" with damages in the $500,000 to $600,000 range.
Click on the graphic to read the Sun's coverage of the fire.
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