Gary Dinkel photo

Kitchener fire dispatch toned out Wellesley and St Clements fire departments to a confirmed structure fire at 3648 Nafziger Road in the Village of Wellesley, May 27, 2018 at 12:35. The Wellesley deputy chief was first on the air. Dispatch advised they had had eight calls on the fire and the phone was ringing in the background. The deputy reported smoke showing from his residence a few blocks away and requested Linwood and Box 690 and the second alarm. Once on scene he reported fire through the roof of an apartment building and requested a third alarm for a full turnout from Wilmot Township Baden station, and New Hamburg’s aerial. Two hydrants were picked up, one by Wellesley’s pumper and the other by Linwood’s pumper. St Clements’ pumper set up down the road at the dam and relay pumped to New Hamburg’s aerial. Multiple lines were stretched around the building to attack the fire. The fire spread through the roof to the front of the building. All firefighting was defensive. Crews were able to do primary searches of the main floor and basement at the rear of the building, and all three levels of the front building before being pulled out. The temperature with the humidity factored in was 92 F. Crews were rotated through rehab to cool down with cooling towels, Kore cooling chairs, and freezies along with 271 cold drinks. The fire was knocked down in two hours. The Ontario Fire Marshall was called in to investigate the fire as the damage will exceed $500,000. Box 690 was on scene four hours providing rehab to the more than 50 firefighters.

Units on scene:

• Wellesley Township

• Wellesley Station, Pump 3, Rescue 3, Aerial 3

• St Clements Station, Pump 2, Rescue 2, Tanker 2

• Linwood Station, Pump 1, Rescue 1, Tanker 1

• Wilmot Township

• Baden Station, Pump 1, Pump 2, Rescue 7, Tanker 5, Tanker 6

• New Hamburg Station, Aerial 39

• Box 690

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

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