A fast-moving fire reduced a bungalow in North Gower to ruins Wednesday afternoon, prompting a large emergency response.
Firefighters were dispatched at 3:07 p.m. to the 5900 block of Prince of Wales Drive after a neighbour reported that the entire house was ablaze. Additional calls quickly followed. Crews arrived within minutes but were met with intense flames and unsafe conditions, forcing them to battle the fire from outside the structure.
Officials encountered immediate hazards, including a live power line that had burned through and fallen at the front of the property. A second energized line later collapsed while crews were working, compounding the danger. With no hydrants available in that part of the city, tanker trucks were used to shuttle water to the scene, and multiple hose lines were deployed around the home. An aerial hose stream was also used to attack the fire from above.
Two occupants had safely evacuated before firefighters arrived. Due to the extent of the damage and structural instability, crews were unable to conduct an interior search, but residents confirmed no one else was inside.
The fire was brought under control shortly after 6 p.m. An excavator was later brought in to move debris and extinguish lingering hot spots. A fire investigator is now working to determine how the blaze started.