No injuries are being reported following a fire at a homeless encampment in Barrie on Saturday morning.
Barrie Fire and Emergency Service was called to the area, located near Victoria and Anne streets, around 10 a.m., confirmed Assistant Deputy Chief Eric MacFadden.
Crews quickly got the small blaze under control, he said, adding no residents of the encampment were around when firefighters arrived.
“There were two trucks that ended up going and they had the fire out pretty quick,” he said. “It was basically a tarp and some wood pallets that burned.”
Although an official cause has not been determined, MacFadden told BarrieToday it was likely due to “combustibles too close to a heat source.”
“It’s unfortunate that there was a fire, but we did what we needed to do to put it out,” he said, adding environmental services were called in because of the runoff from the hoses into a nearby pond — which is normal procedure if there’s a water source in the area. “There wouldn’t be a huge cause for concern. We just touch base with them so they know what the water runoff is and they can take care of anything they need to do.”
