A fire that ripped through a Cumberland Beach home last night caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to the structure.
Severn Township Fire Chief Tim Cranney said approximately 30 firefighters responded to the call at a Lee Avenue home last night at about 11:14 p.m.
He said the cause of the fire is being investigated.
By the time Cranney arrived on scene, there were only two residents from the home still present. He wasn’t able to confirm how many people were in the house when the fire started.
Thanks to support from North Simcoe Victim Services, the residents of the home have been temporarily placed in a hotel until they are able to find a place to live.
At this time the home is uninhabitable, said Cranney, who estimates the fire caused about $200,000 in damage to the structure.
Cranney wasn’t able to confirm if there were working smoke alarms in the house, noting that is part of their ongoing investigation.
Neighbours told OrilliaMatters the blaze started in a backyard shed on the Lee Avenue property.
Carole Pilger, who lives directly behind the home that caught fire, said her shed and pool house were badly damaged after the fire made its way into her yard.
Pilger's son, who lives next door, witnessed the developing events.
"When he (the owner of the house) went out to check the fire in the shed it just went poof and took off like crazy," Pilger said.
"There were a lot of sparks and a lot of stuff floating up that caught the roof and it just set it all on fire through the attic and the top floor."
Neighbours are rallying to help the family who lived in the house. A Facebook Group called Donations for Cumberland Beach Family has been set up to help provide donations.
