Electrical malfunction suspected cause of Portland, Ont. fire department blaze

An electrical issue with one of the tanker trucks at the Portland, Ont. fire department is suspected to be the source of a massive blaze last December.

The fire hall, which had served the Rideau Lakes area for 50 years, was destroyed in a massive fire on Dec. 21. The entire structure and contents, including a tanker truck, a pumper truck, and a rescue vehicle were lost. The vehicles have since been replaced, with insurance covering the costs.

Rideau Lakes Township said Monday that the final report on the fire investigation was delivered last week. It showed that the fire started with the tanker truck itself in the west end bay of the fire hall. Two different electrical sources were identified as having possibly caused the fire.

“It could have been a malfunction in the charging system of the tanker truck, and/or an electrical malfunction or failure of the branch circuitry [the 120-volt AC receptacle that supplies power to the truck],” a news release from the township said. “These two items were removed from the scene for expert examination.”

Officially, the cause of the fire is undetermined. Investigators were unable to isolate the source of ignition because the damage was so extensive. The fire is not considered suspicious.

The Township of Rideau Lakes announced in June that Fire Station 2 would be rebuilt in the community of Lombardy, about 17 kilometres to the northeast of Portland. The location will result in an even distribution of fire stations across the township, officials said. Construction is expected to begin next year.