Chatham-Kent fire truck. (Photo by Allanah Wills)
Chatham

Strong winds fan flames, cause $500K loss

A Blenheim resident sustained $500,000 worth of damage to their property after a barn fire.

At 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue responded to a fire on Charing Cross Road in Blenheim.

Fire officials said that when crews arrived on the scene a 40ft by 60ft barn was ablaze.

It was determined that a controlled burn got out of control and strong winds "drove the fire rapidly through the structure," the fire department said.

"An excavator was brought in to remove the roof from the collapsed structure to allow firefighters to gain access to the deep-seated fire," fire officials added.

A section of Charing Cross Road was closed by police so firefighters could perform water shuttle operations and keep the public out of the smoke path.

No injuries were reported.

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