A major fire tore through several historic buildings in downtown Bowmanville, Ont., early Thursday morning, destroying businesses and residential units and displacing over 30 people.
In a press conference Thursday, Clarington Fire chief David Speed described the scene when crews arrived, noting heavy smoke and flames were visible and explained that they were only able to do a partial search of the building before evacuating for the safety of the firefighters.
“[That’s] when we started to apply water defensively from the outside using aerial devices,” he said.
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the focus has now turned to recovery, with the community rallying around those affected.
“We had all the [pets] and people that were out of their houses in here,” said Colleen Gill, co-owner of 99 King, an Irish pub located just west of the scene. She told The Chronicle that residents were there until the Red Cross arrived a few hours later to put them up in hotels for the night.
The pub continued to be a refuge for affected business owners throughout the day. Zach Munro, a chef at the Talk of The Town restaurant, which was gutted by the blaze, said that despite the devastation, his family is determined to rebuild.
“We’re a tight-knit community,” Gill said. “Bowmanville will show up for sure.”
Other businesses have also stepped up to provide assistance. Markets Ontario, located directly across the street from the scene, handed out free coffee and treats to first responders. “It’s the least we could do,” said owner Sarah Eibich.
Bowmanville Business Improvement Area (BIA) vice-chair Ron Hooper offered his condolences to those affected and said that they will do “everything we can” to support affected businesses.
Additionally, several community members have set up GoFundMe pages to collect donations to help displaced friends and family members.
As of Friday, King Street remains closed to vehicle traffic as the Ontario Fire Marshal continues its investigation, which is expected to continue into next week. Several business owners have been told they won’t be able to check on their shops until the investigation wraps up.
Tracy Pettigrew, owner of Romancing the Home and Paisley’s Wee British Shoppe, both located adjacent to the scene, is anxiously waiting for the opportunity to check on her stores. “It’s a little bit scary not knowing,” she said. “We’re hoping for the best.”
The Municipality of Clarington will continue to provide updates on the situation, which you can follow here.