THUNDER BAY - A fire that destroyed several trailers at a campground in Shebandowan could have been much worse with just a little turn in the weather.
“It could have been a lot worse,” said fire chief Tracey Johnson with the Shebandowan Fire Department. “We got lucky. If the wind had been just a little bit stronger we definitely would have been in trouble. So we got lucky.”
A fire broke out at the Shebandowan Shores Resort at approximately 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning and destroyed four trailers and a washroom building.
Carter Oliver, who was at the resort, recalls what happened that night.
“I was just watching a movie getting ready for bed and I could hear noises outside and I could see light through the window and I went outside and there was a huge fire by the bathrooms,” he said.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal at first, because it looked pretty small from where I was. So I woke up my neighbour and we drove to the camp store and watched from there.”
Oliver added he saw a propane tank explode and Johnson said there were multiple tanks involved in the fire.
Four crews from the Shebandowan Fire Department and three from the Conmee Fire Department responded to the fire, which was brought under control by 4 a.m.
None of the trailers were occupied at the time of the fire, which Johnson said is very fortunate.
“We could have been dealing with something a lot more serious and loss of life,” she said. “It definitely spread quickly.”
“This is our biggest trailer park fire, so we got very lucky. I believe they have 150 trailers there and we only lost four.”
Several other trailers received minor damage, but given the conditions earlier that day in the area, it could have been much worse.
“It is pretty lucky the wind wasn’t blowing,” Oliver said. “Earlier in the day there was really heavy wind so if it kept up like that I’m sure more trailers would have been lost.”
“I knew lots of people who owned the trailers and lost a bunch of stuff, so that’s pretty sad. But at least no one was hurt. It’s just material things.”
An origin investigator will visit the scene on Friday and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
