TAY TWP. — A bungalow in Waubaushene sustained significant damage Thursday afternoon after fire engulfed the home.
No one was believed to be home at the time of the blaze when Innisfil resident Steve Hemphill called 911 and alerted neighbours on either side of the Frazer Lane home.
Hemphill said he stopped his vehicle while driving by the home on his way to Midland and realizing something was amiss.
“I saw the smoke coming out of the whirlybirds,” said Hemphill, recounting what he saw from the road before pulling over and running to the home. “Fire was coming from the back of the house.”
Upon arriving at the scene at about 1:30 p.m., Hemphill knocked on the door. But after getting no response, he rushed to the neighbours’ homes and alerted them.
Hemphill said there were four pumper trucks at the scene along with a number of firefighters who worked to douse the blaze.
Tay Fire Chief Brian Thomas said the fire is not deemed suspicious and that the home was insured.
According to Hemphill, one of the women said the house belonged to her son and that no one was at home. He said the woman became concerned the fire might spread to her home since she had a number of pets inside.
“She was pretty worried about her house, but the fire department, as soon as they came in, they cut some trees in between the houses and then they kind of wetted them down," said Hemphill, who lives in Innisfil.
Thomas said 24 firefighters attended the scene and were able to get the fire under control in an hour and a half.
Southern Georgian Bay OPP Const. David Hobson said police were called to the scene to manage traffic since Frazer Lane runs just off Highway 12
