There were no injuries reported following a fire at a homeless encampment near downtown Barrie on Wednesday morning.
Barrie Fire and Emergency Service received the call around 9 a.m. on Feb. 7, said Deputy Fire Chief Derek Wilson.
“Nobody was there when we got there,” he told BarrieToday.
“It was a temporary shelter. What was there beforehand was gone by the time we got there, so it’s hard to say exactly what was there," Wilson added.
It took crews approximately five minutes to extinguish the fire in what he described as a vacant lot between Bradford Street and Lakeshore Drive, not far from the city’s downtown.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined, said Wilson, adding fire officials were still at the scene investigating around 12:30 p.m.
These types of fires are not uncommon this time of year, Wilson acknowledged, adding the department reminds all residents to keep all heat sources away from flammables.
“We get them somewhat frequently. I wouldn’t say there are any more this year than in past years. Most of the time (we get calls) of burning complaints in encampment areas," he said.
