A fire at the former Antique Warehouse in Stratford has been extinguished but crews are expected to remain on scene through the night.
A young boy noticed something wasn’t right at the Forest Road property around 3 p.m. Sunday.
“We saw some smoke coming out of the vents,” says Cameron Glasgow. “We thought it was a faulty AC unit or a fire.”
More than 40 firefighters from Stratford, Shakespeare, Seabringville and Milverton responded to the call for aid.
Flames could be seen on the roof and thick black smoke filled the sky as they worked to extinguish the blaze.
The biggest issue was water.
“This area does not have a municipal hydrant system,” says Perth East Fire Chief Bill Hunter. “The closest fire hydrants are in the city of Stratford, so we have six of our tankers shuttling water from two fire hydrants in the city out here to supply our aerials.”
Highway 8 had to be shut down for several hours while they trucked the water out to Forest Road.
Tracey McKone, the caretaker for the property, was also called to the scene.
“Around the side of the building you would see that the whole side is collapsed now. On the inside, the ceiling has come down now as well.”
McKone tells CTV the business closed about a month ago after the owners decided to retire.
She says building was recently sold to furniture retailer Leon’s, who planned on refurbishing the current structure.
“I’m just so sorry to see this building go. It did have a lot of historical significance within the city.”
No one was inside the building at the time of the fire and no injuries have been reported.
The Ontario Fire Marshall has been called in to investigate.
