Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Canada Day festivities were cut short when members of the Stone Mills Fire Department were called to a blaze in Tamworth.
Battling both the fire and extreme heat conditions, crews from Stone Mills with support from Frontenac were able to contain the house fire, though not without injury.
“We had two of our firefighters that had to go to hospital by ambulance for dehydration and mild heat stroke,” said Stone Mills Fire deputy chief James Richmond. “They were out that night and are doing fine now. It just goes to show the dangers of the job especially when the temperatures are that hot and the equipment that we have to wear to keep ourselves safe. Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming with the heat.”
The home on County Rd 15 in Tamworth was heavily engulfed in flame and smoke when firefighters arrived on the scene.
Both occupants of the home were able to escape unharmed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fire occurred when temperatures were at the highest during a day when Environment Canada had issued an orange level heat warning.
“In my 20 years of doing this it’s probably the hottest I’ve ever fought fire on,” said Richmond, adding that wearing bunker gear is akin to wearing a snowsuit.
Stone Mills Fire thanked neighbours who brought water to the first responders on the call, which exemplified the Canadian spirit on Canada Day.
While the emergency was the top priority, one unfortunate secondary impact of the call meant the planned Canada Day parade had to be cancelled. The firefighters were going to be used for traffic control to keep participants safe during the parade.