Northerners help to contain wildfire near Killarney
A group of friends doing work on a camp in MacGregor Bay helped contain what could have been a devastating fire in Killarney Provincial Park.
Last Friday, they were working away on the island when they noticed a glow on the horizon, as an empty cottage had caught fire and the blaze was at risk of spreading quickly.
Scott Beaumont and friends were at his camp doing work on the property, when they were turning in for the night. They could see a glow on the horizon and quickly determined it was a fire.
"We called 911 and that was our first instinct, but it was the middle of the night and it's a remote area, so we weren't really going to get an immediate fire response so we called everyone we knew in the area," said Beaumont.
He wondered if they were going to have to evacuate the area if the fire spread. They were processing what was starting to happen and opted to investigate after they got a text asking for help.
They took a boat across the channel in pitch-black darkness where they found his neighbour working away on the affected island with a pump.
"We could see quite a blaze on the peninsula of the island," he said.
"My neighbour had a portable fire pump, there were trees burning, root fires everywhere, and it had just jumped to Baie Fine on the mainland and was at risk of moving up to Killarney Park."
Beaumont says they dismantled the pump and took it to the mainland side of the island, repositioning it to extinguish the fire to try and keep it from spreading further.
Their focus then returned to the cabin.
"We knew no one was coming at that point, so it was up to us, everyone we knew was sleeping and it was just poor timing that way, we would have had a lot more help otherwise," he said.
They worked throughout the night with three pumps to try and put out the blaze and quickly created a perimeter around the property. Beaumont himself found a pump in a nearby boat house that was full of acorns and holes.
"At this point, we're starting to make progress on containment. We realized this was going to be a marathon so we sat there with three hoses pulling from the lake, and extinguished the fire over the course of six hours. My pump had been leaking on me for about four hours and felt hypothermic at that point because I was just soaked," he said.
"We were able to get it at the point where we could see just embers and propped the pumps against the rocks so they'd fire on the building."
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Birch Island Fire Department arrived later in the day to assess the scene.
Beaumont said, "If we hadn't arrived when we did, this fire would have burned for seven hours before anyone would have seen it, it really could have done some damage," he said. "You know you do what you think is right and we're just grateful that we were able to make a difference there and protect the area."
Once it spread to the mainland, the fire was named Sudbury 12 by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
"There was a structure fire on an island, as a result of windy conditions it created a spot fire on the main land," said fire information officer Isabelle Chenard.
"That fire on the mainland was deemed out that afternoon."
Chenard said the fire on the mainland was contained to a tenth of a hectare, but during windy conditions, embers can travel upwards of 2 kilometres.
"It's really important to be mindful of the fire hazard and windy conditions if there are any fires around because it can spread to that much of a distance," she said.
There is no word yet on what could have caused the fire that burned down the initial camp involved with Sudbury 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.