A house in rural Erin is a total loss following a significant structure fire causing an estimated $1.5 million in damages.
Erin’s fire department responded to a reported fire at a single family home on Eighth Line, near Dundas Street just west of Erin village, early Saturday morning at 3:17 a.m.
A press release said upon arrival crews found the structure was fully involved and a neighbouring property, a planned subdivision, also had an exposure fire as hot embers ignited a wood pile.
The owner of the house was not present, but a house sitter and their daughter were able to escape uninjured.
Both Erin and Hillsburgh fire stations responded with a total of 10 vehicles and 33 firefighters on scene, with a mutual aid tanker from Rockwood and three of their firefighters.
The fire was under control just after 5 a.m. and the last crew left the scene at 10 a.m.
“The house sustained serious damage and is a total write-off with an estimated loss of $1.5 million,” the release said.
The fire is not considered suspicious and was determined to have started on an outside deck. The exact cause is still under investigation.
