A fire official confirms one firefighter remains hospitalized late Tuesday morning following a blaze southwest of Strathroy.
Firefighters rushed to Napier Road just south of Katesville Drive about 12:30 a.m. Monday.
On arrival, flames had already taken hold, said Adrian Tamminga, the deputy chief of the Adelaide Metcalfe Fire Department.
“Smoke was coming out of all windows, and a lot of flames were moving through the middle of the house.”
The property owner had called in the fire after returning to his residence. No one else was inside.
The first crews on scene determined it was unsafe to enter.
“We found that the floor was compromised just inside the door, so we had to fight the fire from the outside,” said Tamminga.
It would take over four hours to bring the flames under control, and additional firefighters from Strathroy, Glencoe, Watford and Alvinston were called in.
The intense heat caused by the fire, combined with the warm outside temperatures, proved challenging to crews, and Tamminga confirmed one firefighter was overcome.
He remained in the hospital on Tuesday morning.
“We had one firefighter who had to go to the hospital for heat exhaustion, and it’s good to report that he’s doing a lot better,” said a grateful Tamminga.
Investigators arrived late Tuesday to determine the cause. The blaze is believed to have ignited in the centre of the home. The fire is not considered suspicious.
Off camera, the property owner expressed gratitude to firefighters, despite the substantial damage figure.
“About 750,000, my guess, and the house is a total write-off,” confirmed Tamminga.