Community rallies in response to long weekend fire

Two cottages on Knowles Crescent, along the Shadow River, in Rosseau caught fire on the evening of Friday, May 20. While the buildings were destroyed, there were no reported injuries and the flames were extinguished approximately four hours after crews arrived.

Firefighters from all four Seguin Township stations were quick to respond – a total of 20 Seguin Township firefighters fought the blaze. Their efforts were strengthened with help from three Muskoka Lakes fire stations (in line with our Mutual Aid Agreement). Pumpers, tankers, and a fire boat were used at the scene; the watercraft played an especially pivotal role in preventing the flames from spreading to a third dwelling.

Seguin Township Fire Chief Sean Carroll took the helm in late March. “I can already see that this is a strong team. I’m impressed with their professionalism and skill. On behalf of our crews, I’d like to thank our colleagues and volunteers from Muskoka Lakes who came out to help on a long weekend; with the windy, dry conditions, this fire had the potential to be even more devastating. With all hands on deck, we were able to avoid larger scale catastrophe.”

Seguin Township would like to extend its gratitude to everyone who showed the positive power of community during the emergency. Laurie McDonald and Brian Dollin, owners of the Rosseau General Store, didn’t miss a beat and quickly prepared food and drinks for the firefighters late into the night.  “This was an outstanding demonstration of the power of collaboration,” says Jason Inwood Seguin Township’s CAO, who was also on the scene. “We saw teamwork and resilience from everyone involved, including residents, business owners and, of course, our network of firefighters. Whether they are volunteering their time at events like the Humphrey Public School open house last week, or responding to emergency calls on the long weekend, this group goes above and beyond in contributing to our community.”

Due to excessive damage, the cause of the fire is listed as undetermined at this point.