Fire officials in Niagara-on-the-Lake say a blaze in a hay field that was being used as a parking lot damaged more than 30 vehicles and caused over $1 million dollars in damage on Sunday.
The fire chief for Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire and Emergency Services said nobody was injured, though a few firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.
The fire, which was called in at 3:40 p.m., was under control by 5 p.m.
Officials say the field was being used as parking for the nearby Niagara Lavender Festival.
Fire Chief Rob Grimwood said in an interview with 640 Toronto’s Kelly Cutrara on Monday that the fire is believed to have started underneath a car.
He claimed the festival organizers had been informed of the dangers of using a field for parking.
“We had advised them specifically that parking vehicles on a field of fresh-cut hay was extremely dangerous and a significant fire safety concern,” he said.
LISTEN: It was a ‘big fireball’ Niagara-on-the-Lake fire Chief Rob Grimwood says
No one from Niagara Essential Oils and Blends, the company sponsoring the festival, was immediately available for comment on Monday at about 5 p.m.
Photos tweeted by the fire department show numerous burnt-out vehicles — glass shattered and sides charred — and videos show billowing black smoke.
Grimwood said he could see a cloud of heavy, black smoke from at least three kilometres away.
When he arrived on the scene, he said hundreds of people were standing on both sides of the road, some looking to remove their vehicles from the lot.
With files from The Canadian Press