GRAND BEND – Damage at the Grand Bend legion has been estimated at $500,000 after a fire during the morning of July 16.
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Lambton Shores fire Chief James Marshall said Grand Bend firefighters responded after the legion’s automatic fire alarm went off at 6:13 am Upon arrival, Marshall said firefighters noticed heavy brown smoke coming out of the building’s eaves. Two other Lambton Shores stations and the South Huron fire department were called for assistance.
No injuries were reported. The cause remained unknown as of July 17, but Marshall said there was no reason to believe it was suspicious.
Marshall said crews entered the building’s attic and saw heavy smoke and active flames, and South Huron’s ladder truck was used to vent the roof over the hot spots. The fire chief said the size of the multi-level building as well as the steel roof provided challenges for firefighters, but fire damage to the building remained in the attic space at the southeast corner of the building. Marshall said that corner of the attic was “well involved” with flames.
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“Unfortunately when you use water in a building like that, it will drain down to its lowest point,” he said, explaining that most of the repair costs will be to things such as ceiling tiles and drywall due to water damage. Two bathrooms were also affected by the fire.
The fire department noted on Facebook that none of the legion’s historical items were lost.
“All of that was protected,” Marshall told the Times-Advance.
Firefighters were at the scene July 16 until about noon.
Nobody was in the legion when the fire broke out, and Marshall credited the building’s alarm system for alerting emergency services.
“Without a working fire alarm system, we wouldn’t have a legion there right now,” he said.
In a Facebook post, Grand Bend legion president John O’Handley, who described the damage to the building as “extensive,” said, “I want all to know that the executive and our dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly over the past couple of years to bring back our branch from COVID and we are determined, with the same enthusiasm, to bring our branch back from this setback as quickly as possible.”
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