ANNAPOLIS COUNTY, NS - Investigations are underway following fires that levelled two unoccupied buildings in Annapolis County over the weekend.
The most recent call had several firefighters pulling an all-nighter battling a blaze in an old barn a local farmer used for storage on Spa Springs Road. RCMP were also on scene.
Scott Veinot, a deputy chief with the Middleton Fire Department, said the fire was reported around 12:23 a.m. April 9.
“The whole building was engulfed in flames, so there was no chance of us saving that building but, in saying that, there was another building probably 60 feet (away) and the wind was blowing the flames into that building,” he said.
“We were able to save that building.”
The barn that burned housed a skid steer and roughly 250 bales of hay, Veinot said.
“The wind was blowing the flames and ashes and embers right into the other building, so for us to save the other building was quite a feat,” he added, noting that there was some valuable farming equipment stored in there.
Fire departments from Bridgetown, Lawrencetown, Nictaux, Kingston and Aylesford offered mutual aid to Middleton.
Earlier that weekend, local firefighters were dispatched to a fully involved structure fire in an abandoned farmhouse along a dirt road intersecting Ruggles Road in Wilmot at 1:50 a.m. April 7, Veinot said.
“This one is also suspicious in nature,” he added, listing the location of the house as McCullough Road.
“That was a complete loss, too. It was completely engulfed when we arrived.”
No one was in either building at the time of the fires, and there were no injuries reported.
Veinot stressed that while the cause of the fires has yet to be confirmed, the matters will be investigated to determine if what happened was “more than a coincidence.”
“It's dangerous... there's a huge risk,” he said, noting that fires of that magnitude could result injuries.
“If you see people hanging around vacant buildings, contact your local RCMP.”
Annapolis District RCMP members are asking anyone with information about the fires to contact their local detachment, or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers via 1-800-222-8477 or www.crimestoppers.ns.ca.
