$3M fire tears through Southwestern Ontario town’s core: ‘Devastated’

BOTHWELL – A large chunk of the main commercial strip of this Southwestern Ontario town was destroyed by fire overnight, leaving a heap of rubble and residents mourning the damage.

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As the workday began Friday, fire crews remained at the scene of the major blaze, which reduced two buildings, including a restaurant and closed thrift shop, to rubble. An adjacent building, which housed a Canada Post office, appeared to have lost its back end to the fire but was still standing, its windows smashed out.

The damage, estimated to be roughly $3 million, occurred on Main Street in Bothwell, a town of about 1,000 located 40 km northeast of Chatham.

The downtown was deserted as of mid-morning Friday and the few people in the area were looking on in a kind of stunned silence. But on social media, the fire sparked emotional reactions.

“Our little town has been devastated,” wrote Crystal Ashburn, who identified herself and her family as the former longtime owners of a local general store. “It’s an emotional, sad day in our town.

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“We lost some history today, but we are Bothwell strong.”

Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue assistant fire chief, Adam Walters, said the call came in at about 3 am for a blaze at 260 Main St., the address of the Bothwell Diner Pizza and Wings.

About 30 firefighters responded from Thamesville, Ridgetown, Orford and Highgate fire stations, Walters said.

The CKFR command unit from Chatham and rehabilitation shelters along with medics from Chatham-Kent also were sent to monitor the team and be on standby in case of any injuries, stated a CKFR media release.

There were no injuries reported, fire officials said.

Demolition was required to extinguish the hotspots and to make the structures safe for operations, the release added.

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Staff from Chatham-Kent’s economic development team attended to support the owners of the affected businesses, CKFR said.

Based on statements taken at the scene, fire fighters determined the cause to be accidental, said fire officials.

“Once again, we see the determination of our local firefighters who await emergencies around the clock to protect their community, their families and neighbors,” said Fire Chief Chris Case in the release. “This was a huge team effort from a large number of agencies coming to deal with the danger and support those affected and is testimony to the dedication of all our teams.

“I extend my thanks and respect for their efforts to contain this fire in challenging circumstances,” he said.

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Dave Beamish, owner of Bothwell Fine Furniture, which occupies a large section the downtown, immediately thought of how much more devastating the fire could have been if some volunteer fire stations would have been closed.

Chatham-Kent council approved a motion by Coun. Ryan Doyle asking municipal staff find 7.5 per hundred cuts across the board, equal to $16 million, prior to the latest municipal budget being approved. Among the options presented included closing some volunteer fire stations. No specific station was named and none closed.

“I’m still emotional,” he said Friday morning of seeing the destruction of the fire.

“Our local fire departments are a huge part of our safety in our small town communities.”

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Beamish knows this first hand, stating his business was the target of an Arson fire in October 2023.

“The only reason we’re here is because of the quick response of the Bothwell fire station, located in the community, and the Thamesville fire station,” he said.

He was told at the time, if the fire had gone another 15 minutes his building would have been destroyed.

George Van Dyk has been a Bothwell resident since 1968. He arrived Friday morning hours after the blaze to see the damage for himself.

“It’s so devastating for a small community like this. Just terrible. It’s vital that they (the businesses) are here.”

Lifelong Bothwell resident Liz McMaster said seeing the damage was “unbelievable.”

She said the dinner “was our gathering space” where people socialized.

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Many people expressed concern about the possibility of the post office not being replaced.

“This might by the death knell for the post office here in Bothwell,” said Bothwell resident Pam White.

Beamish said the town recently saw the closure of its only bank, a Service Ontario location and an LCBO store. He doesn’t want to see that happen with the post office.

Calling the fire “very tragic,” White said she is also concerned for the family who was working hard to make a go of the dinner.

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