GREEN VALLEY — The South Glengarry Fire Service had manpower and equipment from every station in the township to fight a garage fire south of Green Valley Monday afternoon.
Giant plumes of black smoke filled the air around 3 p.m. from the property at 4448 County Road 34, just north of Concession Road 7.
It could be seen as far away as Lancaster and Green Valley.
“There were some vehicles in there (the garage), some lumber and storage,” Deputy Fire Chief Dave Robertson told Cornwall Newswatch.
Mother Nature wasn’t making the fire battle any easier.
“Temperature’s an issue for both equipment and for manpower,” Robertson said, as ice-covered firefighters took turns making their way to the trucks to warm up with coffee and food early Monday night.
At the time, the temperature was minus 6 but a strong west wind gusting to 30 kilometers an hour made it feel like minus 13.
The wind also forced SD&G O.P.P. to shut down a section of County Road 34 from Concession Road 7 to Concession Road 8 for much of the afternoon and evening.
Around 5:15 p.m. a hi-hoe was brought in to tear down the garage and allow firefighters better access to the flames and hot spots.
“In essence it’s almost a safety issue because we can get a fire out much faster. The firefighters aren’t pulling heavy steel and heavy machinery around by hand so it speeds it up,” Deputy Chief Robertson said.
Firefighters wrapped up their work just after 8 p.m.
The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Neighbours tell Cornwall Newswatch the garage is owned by Lincoln Cumberbatch and had a number of collector automobiles inside. “It was his livelihood (restoring classic automobiles),” one neighbour said.
Firefighting resources from the Lancaster, North Lancaster, Martintown, Williamstown and Glen Walter were used.
Robertson says they carefully select equipment and manpower from each station in order to maintain adequate coverage should there be another fire call in the township.
Click on the pictures below to view the album of shots from the scene.
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