'We were devastated': Early morning fire destroys shop at Puslinch Lake

Puslinch Lake -

No injuries were reported after a large structure fire on Puslinch Lake Friday morning.

Cambridge, Puslinch, and North Dumfries fire departments were called to a shop on McClintock Drive around 4 a.m.

Officials with the Cambridge Fire Deptartment said the fire was fully involved when crews arrived and they had to use a defensive strategy to put it out.

The Cambridge Fire Deptartment issued a tweet at 6:01 a.m. that said Lake Road is closed and are asking drivers to avoid the area.

ACTIVE INCIDENT Firefighters from Cambridge, North Dumfries and Puslinch are operating in a defensive strategy on McClintock Dr. Puslinch Twp. No injuries. Lake Road is closed, avoid the area. @cityofcambridge @PuslinchFRS @NorthDumfriesFD pic.twitter.com/EYcjwJaIDn

— Cambridge Fire Dept (@CambridgeFD) January 21, 2022

Crews were at the scene on Friday morning tearing down what was left of the building.

A witness said it was used as an equipment shed.

“By 5:00 they probably had at least eight to 10 trucks here and the blaze was just skyrocketing. It was going crazy,” said Kevin Waugh, who lives nearby.

The property is owned by the McClintock family, who said they were devastated to hear about the fire from officials on Friday morning.

“What can I say we are heartbroken. It’s a huge loss for us,” said Sherron McClintock.

The McClintocks are currently in Florida. That's where they got the text message early in the morning.

"It said please call me a soon as you can as soon as you can. It’s an emergency,” said McClintock.

So far they've only seen the burned rubble in pictures.

“Total shock. Unbelief. And then, we were devastated, because we realized how much stuff was in there,” said McClintock.

 

They plan to talk to their insurance company about the loss.

“We want answers. But we don’t know when that’s going to happen,” McClintock said.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

“They had heat and also electricity so they’re all things are going to look at,” said Brent Smith, the chief fire prevention officer with Puslinch Fire.

Damage is estimated at more than $400,000.