For Carol McKinley, having fire destroy both the garage at her home in Yarker and the Agricultural Society’s headquarters where she volunteers, has taken its toll.
Now, police are saying they believe the two fires are indeed connected.
“Hopefully they’ll get some answers for us, as to the connection between the two and what that result will be,” said McKinley.
The Ontario Fire Marshall and the OPP are still investigating the specific cause of both fires.
Getting inside the old arena for a closer look is proving to be tricky due to the severity of the blaze.
“As the building is, it’s still standing, however, it has some structural issues with it. We’ve contracted a demolition company to come in and surgically remove parts of the building to make it safe for the OFM investigators, the fire marshal’s office, and the OPP,” said Napanee Fire Chief Bill Hammond.
Until that closer inspection takes place the cause can’t be officially called arson, but OPP say they are gathering evidence and hope to have more to share soon.
No one was injured in either fire, but the McKinleys were home at the time when their garage went up in flames.
“I could see from my bed, the tree had a different looking colour on it. A glow, like Halloween or something. All of a sudden, there was one heck of a big bang. Like, unbelievable,” said McKinley’s husband, George.
“We were out here watching the fire, waiting for the fire department, and I got a phone call from one of our board members just after 3. She asked if someone had contacted me because the community centre was on fire as well. She didn’t actually know that our place was on fire,” added Carol.
With two devastating losses, McKinley and the rest of the Agricultural Society board are looking at ways to move on.
They’re hoping that the police can provide some of the answers they are looking for including whether or not they have been targeted by an arsonist.