January 8, 2026

FIRE CALLS FIVE MINUTES APART KEEP HUNTSVILLE FIREFIGHTERS BUSY MONDAY FOR BURNING BYLAW INFRACTION AND THEN LOSS OF TWO VEHICLES AND CAR PORT

HUNTSVILLE — Two 911 calls five minutes apart yesterday had firefighters rushing from fire to fire early yesterday afternoon here in Huntsville.

Neither resulted in personal injuries.

But they resulted in a coordinated response in a tight timeframe — and highlighted the importance of following municipal burning by-laws, said Steve Markham, Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department public education and fire prevention officer

Crews were called out at 1:32 p.m. after drivers on Hwy. 11 saw large black smoke west off the highway and reported a suspected structure fire.

They arrived on Lindgren Road, south of the Main Street entrance, where they determined the incident involved the burning of materials outside of the regulations of the municipal open-air burning by-law.

No structure was involved in this case.

But five minutes later, at 1:37 p.m., crews were further dispatched to a confirmed structure fire at a residential property on East Waseosa Lake Road in north west of Huntsville.

Firefighters then found two vehicles and a carport fully involved, with fire extending to the exterior of the home.

Crews acted quickly and were able to stop the fire from spreading into the residence, preventing more extensive damage.

Firefighters from Station One (Huntsville), Station Three (Hillside), Station Four (Baysville), and Station Five (Port Sydney) responded with 38 firefighters and 10 apparatus.

A preliminary report suggests $250,000 damage, including the loss of two vehicles and the carport, as well as damage to the exterior of the home.

Markham and his team are currently investigating the incident.

He tells MuskokaTODAY.com today that it should remind residents to follow local burning regulations and ensure all outdoor burning is conducted safely and responsibly.

Because when fire crews are dispatched to by-law violations, those resources may be temporarily unavailable for legitimate emergencies, as demonstrated by these two calls occurring only minutes apart.

For more information on open-air burning regulations or fire prevention, please contact the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department or visit hlobfire.ca.