Seven people are out of their homes after a fire at the Beaver Ridge Estates mobile home park in Gravenhurst.
The fire started in one unit Monday afternoon and destroyed it. The fire went on to destroy the unit behind the first, and four more units were badly damaged.
Bruce Baldwin, who is responsible for landscaping and maintenance in the park, heard the sirens and acted quickly.
“The two that engulfed in flames were beyond control,” he says. “A bunch of the joining trailers, we had to remove … 100-pound propane tanks because they’re basically time bombs waiting to go off with heat.”
Firefighters faced several challenges, including extreme heat and wind.
“One of the biggest challenges in the daytime today was the wind,” says Gravenhurst Fire Chief Larry Brassard. “The wind picked up incredibly, and the wind pushes fire. As you can see some of the homes are quite close to one another.”
“The radiant heat from one unit on fire can spread to the next one very quickly,” he says.
About three dozen firefighters were needed at the trailer park with tanker trucks from Bracebridge and Severn Township called in too.
No homeowners were injured, but some of the firefighters needed to take breaks because of the intense heat.
Damage is estimated at about $300,000.
The investigation will now look into electrical equipment and a woodstove that was used in one of the homes.
Meanwhile, neighbours have stepped up with offers of a place to stay and clothing for those who lost everything.
