Just after 9pm Wednesday evening May 25, members of the public at the Victoria St. river dock, called 911 reporting they could see a roof on fire at the Domtar Mill complex at 20 Duke St. On arrival Dryden firefighters found a fire burning on the roof of the 15 storey #3 Recovery building.

30 Dryden firefighters and six apparatus fought the blaze, bringing it under control within one hour, and remained on scene for the next two hours mopping up the fire with the Domtar Mill Fire Team.

UPDATE: Thursday 4:30 p.m.

Dryden Firefighters faced greater risks to member safety, last evening during extinguishment of this high building, structure roof fire. The fire was located approximately 15 storeys above the street level on the #3 Recovery building roof, around a stack that was under repairs or demolition at the time. On arrival four units and 20 Firefighters began tasks as assigned.

A Dryden Fire attack Team of five members was sent by stairwell to the roof level in full protective gear to begin rooftop firefighting operations, and the Incident Command Team began High Rise structural procedures, by bringing all six Hall 1 apparatus and 32 members to the scene, and staging four units and members from Hall 2, at Fire Hall #1 on standby.

The fire fight entered a critical stage when members found the fire building had no fire fighting water hoses & lines on floors, due to the pre 1960’s building code requirements, compounded with the freight elevator not operating at the time now meant that water & equipment required to fight the fire had to come from the pumper trucks located at the street hydrant. A labour intensive hose lay was then conducted in the 15 storey stairwell, over the next several minutes members laid a 75mm (3”) attack supply line up the stairwell, to the Dryden Firefighters at the roof fire attack level.

Fire teams had the roof fire under control after 45 minutes, and fire hot spots were opened & extinguished over the next two hours without injuries. A dozen Domtar Mill Fire Team members were left in charge, and conducted an overnight fire watch at the structure. Fire damage was limited to the roof top area and construction scaffolding around the roof stack. Dryden Police & Paramedics assisted at the scene.

A fire cause & origin investigation is under way and continuing with the Dryden Fire Service, and Domtar Mill staff.

Photos by Chris Marchand