On Wednesday, April 10 at approximately 1:30 a.m., Bracebridge Fire was dispatched to a vehicle fire on Highway 11 northbound, north of High Falls Road involving a fuel tanker truck. The Bracebridge Fire Department responded with several fire apparatus and utilized mutual aid from Gravenhurst Fire and Huntsville-Lake of Bays Fire. Approximately 30 firefighters were on scene for several hours to suppress the fire and protect the surrounding forested area.
Muskoka Paramedic Services were also on scene to monitor the safety of first responders. No injuries were reported.
The Ontario Provincial Police periodically closed Highway 11 in both directions to allow firefighters to bring the fire under control. A closure of all northbound lanes was implemented later this morning to facilitate further mitigation and cleanup of the scene. All lanes of traffic have since re-opened.
An environmental spill response contractor attended the scene on behalf of the tanker company to safely manage the offloading of remaining onboard fuel and provide mitigating measures to protect the environment. The Ministry of the Environment also attended and found no hazards.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and no dollar loss estimate is available at this time.
“Thank you to our partners at Gravenhurst Fire, Huntsville-Lake of Bay Fire, and Muskoka Paramedics for their dedication and assistance, and to the Ontario Provincial Police and Ministry of Transportation for providing scene security and safety.” The Town said in a media release.
OPP Press Release:
The Bracebridge Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigated a vehicle fire that caused significant traffic delays on northbound Highway 11 in Bracebridge.
On April 10, 2024, at approximately 1:30 a.m., members of the Bracebridge Detachment along with Bracebridge Fire Department responded to reports of a fuel truck on fire in the northbound lanes of Highway 11.
Northbound Highway 11 between High Falls Road and Highway 117 was closed for several hours while OPP and Bracebridge Fire continued the investigation.
Highway 11 is now open in all directions in the area.