Arson is suspected as the cause of an early morning fire on Collison Avenue Saturday (Jan. 3) says Masset fire chief Dwayne Hunter.
The blaze, which cast a huge orange glow into the sky, burned an abandoned duplex to the ground and threatened the houses on each side. No one was hurt.
Mr. Hunter said 15 volunteer fire fighters in two pumper trucks were on the scene in five minutes. They battled the fire from just after 5 am until about 7:30 am, saving the two neighbouring buildings.
The burning duplex generated enough heat and flame to char the exterior of one house next door, and blister paint on the interior wall, he said. The duplex burned quickly due to wind and the fact that it was an older building with no drywall inside. No one was living in the duplex, but it was being used for storage, Mr. Hunter said.
In a report sent Monday to the provincial fire commissioner, Mr. Hunter said he suspected arson as the cause of the blaze. There was no hydro connected to the building and no other obvious cause, he said.
RCMP also attended the fire. Const. Brian Fillmore praised the volunteers on the fire department for their response, saying that the fire was contained quickly enough to prevent flames from spreading to the adjoining residences.