MYSTERIOUS RAILWAY TIES FIRE LIGHTS UP HUNTSVILLE CORE FRIDAY NIGHT STOPPING TRAINS

HUNTSVILLE — A mysterious blaze that lit up downtown Huntsville Friday night Hunter’s Bay and Avery Beach was not a grass fire as originally reported but railway ties on fire.

Huntsville/Lake of Bays firefighters received the 911 call at 9 p.m., May 9, next to the tracks in the area of Avery Beach on Yonge St. N.

And not far from the former Huntsville railway station.

Crews from Station 1 Huntsville, comprising 11 firefighters and 4 trucks, responded.

They say that on arrival the crew discovered a pile of decommissioned wood railway ties engulfed in flames.

The fire was adjacent multiple rail cars that were carrying materials that are non-combustible and are not hazardous materials.

CN Rail was contacted immediately and stopped trains from approaching the area.

Firefighters used water from a nearby fire hydrant to put the fire down and suppress it until heavy machinery arrived to separate the pile at which point the fire could be extinguished.

The bright blaze that lit up the core neighbourhood did not damage any of the rail cars and did not affect any structures.

No injuries have been reported.

The fire resulted in the railway being shut down for multiple hours until the fire could be extinguished.

Fire officials say no cause of the fire has been determined.

If you have any information on how the fire started contact the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department at 705-789-5201.