On Friday March 19, 2021 at 3 a.m., the Muskoka Lakes Fire Department was called to a report of a chimney fire on Ransbury Road in Muskoka Lakes.
Upon arrival, fire crews upgraded the fire to a structure fire as the roof was on fire and there was one room fully involved in flames.
Firefighters from Port Carling, Milford Bay and Windermere battled the fire for three and half hours.
The fire department said the cause of the fire is the wood burning appliance igniting fuel kept too close.
There were no injuries reported. There is one displaced resident as the result of this fire and two dogs perished in the fire.
Damage is estimated to be $575,000.
The lone occupant was alerted to the fire due to a CO alarm, there were no working smoke alarms found in the home. The Muskoka Lakes Fire Department supplies smoke and CO alarms free of charge, these alarms are the best chance you have to be alerted during a fire.
This is the 13th fire so far in 2021 for the Township of Muskoka Lakes, with just one of them being a vehicle, the rest were structure.
