Fire sends residents of Beechmount home into the cold
It was suppose to help keep them warm but instead, a basement fireplace is believed to the source of a fire that sent the residents of a White Oaks home out into the cold on Tuesday night (Jan. 7).
Just after 10 p.m,. London Fire Department (LFD) responded to a call at 56 Beechmount Cres.
According to LFD platoon chief Tom Mathers, the fire appears to have started in the fireplace and chimney before getting into the wall structure. It then spread to the outside portion of the wall and up to the main floor. Firefighters quickly had the fire under control and after putting it out, remained on scene ventilating the structure.
No injuries were reported, but one of two residents who were home at the time of the incident was taken to the hospital for what was described as an “asthma issue.”
Mathers said fire crews struggled a bit with the cold, having to deal with air bottles and fire hoses freezing up. The frigid temperatures “pose an extra challenge no doubt,” Mathers said.
The initial damage estimate to the home was estimated at approximately $35,000.