Ayr Ontario firefighters were toned out for a house fire at 1221 Industrial road at 3:52 am on January 29. Cambridge dispatch advised responding units that the house was well involved and all occupants were out. Ayr Car 2 requested New Dundee and Box 690 Canteen while enroute. Ayr responded with two pumpers, two tankers, and their rescue.
Car 2 arrived on scene with heavy fire in the middle of the large bungalow. P4 pulled into the driveway of the house and stretched lines to the front and rear while P1 setup for relay pumping form port-a-tanks out on the road. Cambridge’s tanker was also requested at this time.
New Dundee Pump 21 setup at a nearby reservoir and filled tankers. The temperature was a frigid -35 F with light winds. The large bungalow had a shake roof. The fire quickly spread through the house. Kitchener’s tanker was requested as the fifth tanker. P1 froze up early in the fire. Cambridge’s tanker replaced the pumper until portable pumps could be set up to feed P4. By this point most of the tankers inlets were frozen and tankers had to be filled from the top. Command requested Kitchener P5 to the scene to act as the relay pumper. The pumper is fully enclosed and had no issues with freezing up. The fire was declared under control by 10:00. Damage was pegged at $700,000.
Gary Dinkel