On Thursday, shortly before 8 p.m., Orillia Fire Department responded to a fire at a homeless encampment in a bushy area off of Atherley Road, according to Deputy Fire Chief Chris Ferry.
Upon arrival, a crew of 14 firefighters found the 15-foot by 15-foot encampment made of tarps and skids in flames that stretched above the treetops.
There were no serious injuries.
One of the two occupants of the encampment was checked by paramedics on scene but refused to be hospitalized. The other left before crews could do a wellness check said Ferry, according to CTV News. All their belongings left in the tent were lost in the fire.
“The two occupants went to the overnight warming centre in Orillia to spend the night,” said Ferry in an email to Muskoka411.
“The fire is believed to have started around the heating appliance (which was found in the shelter).”
The firefighters were on the scene for two hours with two pumper trucks and two support trucks. Two County of Simcoe Paramedic units were on the scene as well as the OPP.
