Thursday, February 14, 2008

COURTICE -- The cause of a blaze that destroyed the Waste Management office building at 1 McKnight Rd. in Courtice Tuesday remains under investigation.

Fire department officials were alerted to the blaze at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, when a Waste Management staffer called 9-1-1, said Clarington deputy fire chief Mark Berney. It took until 3:40 a.m. to bring the fire under control.

The Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate, but the fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature, said the deputy chief.

Damage is estimated at $500,000.

The building was a "total loss," deputy chief Berney said.

Eleven fire department vehicles and 36 firefighters responded to the blaze.

No one was injured.

I wonder if this was a form of symbolic retaliation for the incinerator they want to build near that facility?

You never know. I drove by today and despite the ominous photo in the print edition of the newspaper, the building is no bigger than a glorified shack. But still, arson is arson, if that's what it was.