A fire in View Royal spewed large flames Saturday night, catching the eyes of passersby driving along the Craigflower Bridge.
Around 8:30 p.m., crews from the View Royal Fire Rescue were called to a report of a fire at a small wooden building near the Scottish Community Centre, which is located at the corner of Craigflower and Admiral roads.
As the fire broke out, a fashion show event was happening at the centre, making it more difficult for firefighters because attendees were leaving as crews were arriving.
“It was crazy,” an event attendee told CHEK News, as others sent in videos of firefighters battling the blaze next to the Gorge Waterway.
Footage showed flames engulfing the building across the parking lot from the Scottish Centre.
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Crews knocked down the fire in a couple of minutes, according to a spokesperson with the fire department in an interview.
They say no one was injured.
The spokesperson says the structure, a replica blacksmith shop, was a non-heritage building, unlike the nearby Craigflower Manor House historic site.
Ian Booth with the Scottish Centre says the fashion event “was interrupted temporarily by all the activities going on outside,” adding there was “no physical impact on our site.”
But a big concern for fire crews was the cabers, or wood poles, sitting about 20 feet from the blaze. The spokesperson said the poles had just been placed there for the upcoming Highland Games, and there was worry they would catch fire too.
A fire aftermath photo shows the replica building completely destroyed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Photos: Rob Scrimgeour
Ethan Morneau
