"The house was a couple of minutes away from catching on fire. Flames were licking the side of the house,” says Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services Chief Scott Lawson
A new off-road vehicle was destroyed in a garage fire that caused $150,000 to $200,000 damage Sunday in Port Colborne’s north end.
Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services firefighters responded to 1031 Steele St., between Donlea Drive and Barrick Road, at 11:39 p.m. after multiple 911 calls reporting the blaze.
“When the crews arrived, they found a fully-involved garage fire next to a house." said Chief Scott Lawson, adding siding on the residence beside the driveway melted away. "The house was a couple of minutes away from catching on fire. Flames were licking the side of the house.”
Lawson said firefighters — 10 were on scene — made quick work on the blaze in the detached garage, which housed a new off-road vehicle and tools.
“There were some stubborn places inside,” the chief said of the fire.
He said the garage, in which tools were also stored, was unsafe for firefighters to enter.
Wainfleet Fire and Emergency Services was dispatched, but its assistance was not needed.
Lawson said firefighters checked the interior of the home to ensure the fire had not spread into the structure.
A Niagara Emergency Medical Services ambulance and supervisor were on scene, but no one was injured in the blaze.
Niagara Regional Police blocked off Steele Street while firefighters fought the fire.
The fire service was on scene for two hours. The cause of the blaze has been ruled accidental.