Fire Update 2: St. Catharines Fire Services clears 30 Ontario St. fire scene; investigation into the cause continues
Back to SearchAfter nearly three days at the scene of a major fire at 30 Ontario St., St. Catharines Fire Services completed its firefighting operations on Wednesday.
While the investigation continues into the cause and origin of the fire, fire crews have predominantly cleared the scene - although a crew remains on hand to provide support during the cleanup. Firefighters had spent days battling the blaze, calling in heavy equipment to ensure they were able to access any of the hotspots and areas that were smouldering underneath any collapsed portions of the structure, which was vacant at the time of the fire. At its peak, there were nearly 50 firefighters and 10 vehicles on scene, with fire crews from Pelham and Thorold supporting the efforts of St. Catharines firefighters as part of mutual-aid agreements.
“I cannot speak highly enough of the work of fire crews over the last several days. They battled through some humid and rainy conditions to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and to ensure area buildings and residents remained safe,” said Fire Chief Jeff McCormick. “We are extremely thankful for the dedication and professional excellence of our firefighters here in St. Catharines, as well as those from our partner departments that supported our efforts over the past few days.”
St. Catharines Fire Services were called to the scene of the fire at 5:23 a.m. on Monday, July 12. The fire was well advanced on arrival and all available resources were deployed to the scene to assist, with the firefighters from Pelham and Thorold providing additional resources. Due to the intensity of the fire, and out of an abundance of caution, firefighters spent hours conducting a defensive attack to completely extinguish the fire. A shelter in place advisory was originally in place, but was declared over at about 8 p.m. on Monday. No injuries were reported throughout the three-day effort on scene.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s investigative team has wrapped up its efforts on scene, but continues its investigation, with the support of St. Catharines Fire Services investigators and detectives with the Niagara Regional Police. Anyone with information about the fire, or who may have witnessed something, is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111, ext. 1008429.
Temporary road closures remain in place around the property due to debris and safety concerns. Updates on the reopening of roads, as well as the reopening of the Ontario Street parking garage, will be provided on the City’s social media channels.
In addition to the area departments that assisted in the firefighting efforts, the fire chief said the fire service is also appreciative of the support from City of St. Catharines staff, support agencies both locally and provincially, downtown businesses and residents who provided assistance over the last several days. Fire officials also extend their appreciation to residents for their patience and support while the shelter in place was instituted Monday, as well as those affected by disruptions to gas supply to areas of the downtown over the past several days.
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