A convenience store in Verona, Ont., caught fire Wednesday afternoon, and a witness who was at the scene said the building has burned to the ground.
South Frontenac Interim Fire Chief Alex Bennett said the call came in around 2:45 p.m.
Large flames were seen shooting out of the windows and out of the top of the roof of New Topper’s Market on Highway 38.
Topper’s is also the convenience store for the Esso gas station.
According to Bennett, there were no injuries reported and the cause and location of origin of the fire are both unknown.
“At this time the structure is a full loss” said Bennett.
“It’s an old wooden building, and went up very quickly,” said Mike Collins, an employee of Asselstine Hardware, which is located right beside the site of the fire.
“There were fireworks in that building too, and they all went off. We had one heck of a Canada Day light show,” added Collins.
There were also a number of propane tanks in a cage at the front of the structure, something Bennett said factored into the response.
“The hazards on scene were addressed quickly, the propane tanks as well as the gas station attached to the structure,” he said.
Collins said fire crews were able to contain the fire and keep it away from the propane tanks, but the building is no longer standing.
“It’s completely gone,” he said.
Collins said he saw all of the occupants of the building get out safely, including the apartments that are located above the store.
Highway 38 was shut down in both directions while fire crews worked on the fire and Bennett said he expected it to continue into the evening.
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