Firefighters say an unattended fire is being blamed after building materials caught fire behind a home near Millbrook on Sunday afternoon.
Cavan Monaghan Township firefighters responded to the fire on County Road 10 around 1:30 p.m. Deputy fire chief Mike Tennant said the pile of materials — about 15 metres in diameter and two metres high — was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene.
Tennant says firefighters managed to get the fire under control and kept it from spreading to nearby buildings on the property. An excavator was brought in to move around the debris to allow firefighters extinguish any hot spots.
He said the homeowner was burning cardboard outside and went inside his residence, during which time the fire spread to the pile of renovation scrap wood.
Peterborough Police Service closed the road for four hours as traffic was detoured at Larmer Line.
Tennant noted the township has bylaws that require people to have a burn permit.
“In Cavan Monaghan, you have to have a permit and you have to follow the setback rules,” he said, adding that fires must be 50 feet away from any structure — 100 metres or 330 feet for burning brush — and meet size guidelines.
“You do require a permit to burn in the township and when you’re done and the fire is out, you still have to call in and confirm that the fire is out.”
A report on the incident will go to the fire chief, who will determine the necessary fines.
County Road 10 south of Larmer Line was closed Sunday afternoon but reopened in the evening.
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