The factory for Ontario's largest ice cream producer burned to the ground 10 years ago today.
The fire at Chapman's Ice Cream factory in Markdale was so intense that smoked billowed from the building for days.
"It looked like the apocalypse. It was absolutely overwhelming," said Chapman's vice-president Ashley Chapman.
The fire started after a spark from a welder's torch ignited nearby insulation, gutting the entire factory.
But today, the owners of Chapman's say the business is thriving.
And Ashley Chapman dedicates the quick comeback to his parents' determination and savings.
"Literally saved every single penny since 1973 just in case of that rainy or fiery day," Chapman says.
Since then, they've rebuilt a much bigger and more modern facility, with a state-of-the-art sprinkler system.
The new facility now has an underground water retention tank to fight future fires.
The previous building was about 150 years old and did not have any of those features.
At the new facility, they have the capacity to make six times more product than they did before.
Chapman's now pumps out about 480,000 ice cream sandwiches a day.
