An overnight fire has reduced the Thorndale Community Centre to rubble.
Firefighters began getting calls about the blaze at the community building at 265 Queen St. around 2:30 a.m. on Monday. They spent hours battling the fire and remained on scene as of 8 a.m. extinguishing hot spots. An excavator was brought in to take down the few sections of the centre that remained standing.
No one was hurt and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott said word of the blaze spread quickly among locals who have been left shocked and saddened by the loss.
"It is completely gone. It is a huge hit to our community," said Elliott. "The community centre is a hub for us. It is where all of our activities happen, where all of our service groups hold their meetings, their fundraisers, their programming - everything is there."
Elliott noted that, as a result of the large water supply that was required to douse the fire, area residents may notice a slight discolouration in their drinking water.
"Because the firefighters pull water from our water system to fight fires in the village... Our environmental staff just wanted residents to know that, even though the water may appear slightly discoloured, it is still safe to drink," said Elliott.
The municipality northeast of London won't be without a community centre for too long. Plans were already in the works to begin construction on a new facility.
"The groundbreaking will happen as soon as the weather clears up for a new community centre," said Elliott. "However, the current community centre was going to stay standing all through construction so we always had a space for the community to use."
Elliott said she anticipates the construction of the new community centre will be completed sometime in August.
A second fire Monday morning briefly pulled firefighters away from the community centre blaze. It broke out in a shed on a rural property in Thorndale around 7 a.m.
