By Angelica Ingram

Jan. 10 2017

Highlands East firefighters were able to save a home from burning to the ground on the afternoon of Thursday Jan. 5 however the same did not go for the adjacent garage.

The fire which occurred on Clement Lake Road in Wilberforce broke out sometime early afternoon said Highlands East fire chief Bill Wingrove.

About a dozen firefighters worked to put it out which took a few hours.

Wingrove said homeowner Philip Whitefield was taken to Haliburton hospital for smoke inhalation.

The garage that caught fire was used for small engine repairs he said.

“The garage is gone a bit of the corner of the house is burnt but we’ve got it knocked down so the house is pretty good” said Wingrove. “He’s going to need siding and some new plywood and roof boards. We worked on that instead of the garage initially.”

Wingrove said he doesn’t know what caused the fire.

To put out the flames the department used a shuttle method with tankers.

“We set up portable tanks at the scene with the pumper and then the tankers go over to the dam and fill up and then come back with their load and dump it and then go again” said the fire chief.