Blaze destroys Newbridge home

by | Jul 7, 2024

Woodstock Police Force officers investigate and alert the fire department after seeing glow in the night sky

A blaze levelled an unoccupied Newbridge home overnight between Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6. 

Woodstock Fire Chief Harold McLellan said Woodstock Police Force officers noticed the blaze’s glow in the night sky from miles away as they patrolled in Woodstock. 

He said the officers investigated and notified the fire department at 1:11 a.m. 

McLellan said firefighters could see the glow of the fire at 3446 Route 585 before crossing the Grafton Bridge. The building sat a couple of kilometres along Route 585 from the Grafton side of the bridge. 

The chief said the first firefighters arrived at the scene to find the structure “completely involved.”  

The Woodstock Fire Department arrived to find the building “completely involved.”  
(Photo Courtesy of the WFD)

McLellan said the crew’s role at that point was to knock the flames down and ensure it didn’t spread to the woods or neighbouring properties. 

“Thankfully, it rained that day,” the chief said. 

While from the road, the building appeared to be surrounded by woods, McLellan said that when the firefighters arrived at the top of the winding driveway, they discovered the structure sitting in a large clearing with a significant gap to the woods. 

A blaze reduces a home on Route 585 in Newbridge to rubble. (Jim Dumville photo)

McLellan described the structure as an older model house trailer with built-on wooden additions. He said the fire also destroyed a combination garage and workshop and a lean-to structure to shelter horses. 

McLellan said no one lived in the home, and no horses were present at the time of the blaze. 

While he didn’t identify the owner or former resident of the property, McLellan said he talked to the son of the man who used to live there. The son told him his father moved out about two weeks ago.

Friday’s rain helped keep the blaze from spreading to the woods. (Jim Dumville photo)

McLellan said he talked to the Fire Marshal’s Office and the RCMP, but they agreed it would be difficult to determine the cause of the blaze. 
McLellan said the Newbridge fire added to a busy 2024 for the Woodstock Fire Department. He said his department responded to 171 calls to date this year, up 37 from last year. 

FOREST FIRE INDEX – click image for current status

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have successfully subscribed! A confirmation email has been sent to your email account. To complete your subscription, open the email and click on the confirmation link. (If you can't find it in your inbox, try your junk and spam folders.) If you'd like to receive our updates more than once a week, please click the "Manage your subscription" link at the bottom of your Newsletter.