An early morning fire levelled four townhouses under construction in The Blue Mountains this morning.
On Nov. 30, The Blue Mountains Fire Department was called to the fire on Crosswinds Boulevard at 5:20 a.m. and arrived to see flames engulfing four units in the subdivision.
Fire Chief Steve Conn said both the local stations and the volunteer brigade responded to the fire, which included about 25 firefighters. Collingwood Fire Department was also called to assist with about six to eight firefighters and an aerial truck.
"There was no use saving what was on fire, it was pretty much on the ground and there was nothing left to save, so we just protected what was around it," said Conn.
Wind was pushing heat and embers onto nearby units under construction, so the fire crews used the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains aerial trucks to put a curtain of water between the fire and the units next door.
Units 13, 15, 17 and 19 at 190 Crosswinds Boulevard burned down to the concrete. Conn said they had been framed and covered with a roof, but they didn't have siding or drywall yet. The fire spread quickly.
Firefighters successfully protected nearby units, though some windows did break because of the intense heat.
Conn said the fire was discovered by a security guard hired to watch the subdivision and construction sites overnight.
The fire was under control within an hour, according to Conn, and Collingwood's crew was sent back to their station by about 7:30 a.m.
Conn said he has contacted the Ontario Fire Marshal's office and is awaiting further instruction from the fire marshal before leaving the scene.
The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.
There were no injuries in the fire and the units were unoccupied.
