'Burnt to the ground': Blue Mountains new townhouses destroyed by fire

An early morning fire raged through and destroyed four new townhouses in the Blue Mountains.

A security guard quickly called 911 when they spotted the fire shortly after 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

In a new subdivision at the base of the mountain, four units under construction have now burned to the ground, said Blue Mountains Fire Chief Steve Conn.

The fire chief noted the strong winds "took the structure down in minutes," adding the structure had no supports of drywall or other materials, "so it just went up."

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Conn called for Collingwood aerial support, as well as using their own aerial device to quell the blaze.

"We had to protect the other units as well in the area. The adjacent exposure was 8 to 10 other units," he said.

The loss is pegged at well over $500,000.

The Ontario Fire Marshall is investigating the cause.