Five Fires in 37 Days
Keewatin suffers incredible ‘trial by fire’ ten years before the infamous Flour Mill blaze
Printed Dec. 1999 in Kenora Enterprise Millennium Milestones
Reprinted with permission
Fire has always been a factor in the historical development of Keewatin. The destruction of the flour mill was perhaps the single most devastating example. But in June and July of 1957, Keewatin experienced an incredible five fires in only thirty-seven days.
The first of these was on JUNE 7TH when North American Lumber was destroyed. The blaze broke out just after 2am in a shed housing a company truck. A muffled explosion woke Keewatin Police Constable Jack Beckworth who lived nearby. H saw smoke pouring out of the lumber company’s windows.
The Keewatin Fire Department arrived on the scene to find the fire raging out of control. An all night effort by the Keewatin and Kenora firefighters saved the Johnson Pharmacy on the east and a private home on the west from serious damage.
The heat was so intense that it cracked the windows of Adrienne’s Shop across the street and one eyewitness reported that the flames reached 150 feet into the air.
On JUNE 12TH, Keewatin and Kenora firefighters again teamed up to fight a blaze that started under a lean-to kitchen at the back of the Allan Block
It was reported by Percy Dean and others working in the Flour Mill. They saw a fire in the yard at the rear of Allan’s Tea Room, “It looked like someone had a bonfire or a fire in a barrel.” Suddenly there were three big flashes of flame which shop up the height of the building.
The fire began just after 3am and spread to an adjoining building with Tony’s Shoe Repair Shop and Bob Cumming’s Tailor Shop on the bottom and two suites on the top floor.
In all, four suites on the second floors of the damaged buildings were occupied. Several of the residents were overcome by smoke including Mrs. Allan’s sister, Mrs. Deegan, who was taken to hospital. Another couple, the Rolston’s, were saved by rescuers. No one was seriously injured in the fire.
On JUNE 21ST, nine days later, WH Moore and Sons Fuel Sheds, along the CPR track southwest of the Lake of the Woods Milling Company was destroyed. A pole running through the centre of the building and carrying CPR communication lines was also burned causing the disruption of communication between Kenora and Winnipeg for over three hours. The fire was reported by Dave Cairins, an employee of Lake of the Woods Milling Company who spotted the blaze from a mill window.
On JULY 11TH, Powell Brother’s Garage and the attached Fire Station burned to the ground. Bill Adams had been on duty and locked up the garage shortly before 2am. He left to take the night mail to the train. When he returned all he could see was smoke and flames.
One fire wagon was destroyed in the station. But firefighters pulled the other truck out of the burning building with a rope. The rope broke and truck rolled back into the garage. In the meantime, Alf Quinn had jumped into the driver’s seat to apply the brakes. A chain was attached and the scorched truck was saved.
It was only four days before the final fire claimed the Bay City Hotel on JULY 15TH.
Just before 3am, Club Taxi driver Willie Paswisty pulled up in front of the hotel to drop off his passengers. He saw flames shooting out through the screen of a third floor window. He raced into the hotel, grabbed a large soda acid fire extinguisher and put out the flames.
The hotel was filled to capacity at the time with thirty guests and employees in the building.