North Bay Fire and Emergency Services is at the scene of a massive fire at Stradwicks Carpet One on Brule Street in North Bay.
The call came in around 9:50 p.m. on Tuesday.
When BayToday arrived at the scene the building was engulfed in flames. The warehouse portion has been destroyed.
NBFES confirmed there were no injuries related to the blaze.
Franklin Street is closed in both directions.
Stradwicks has been in business for many years and the building has been undergoing roof repairs this week. The store sells hardwood and vinyl flooring as well as carpeting.
It's a local family-owned and operated neighbourhood flooring store originally opened in 1944 by J.C. Stradwick. Ralph James purchased the branch in 1980 and worked hard to expand the business.
Employees joined management at the scene of the inferno with nothing left to do but watch as the U-shaped row of buildings was gradually destroyed.
North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whiteley arrived at the fire and immediately began to direct traffic to pull the equipment around to douse the other side of the building.
By shortly after midnight, fires continued to burn in hot spots on both sides of Stradwicks and Whiteley said the structures were mostly destroyed and depending on inventory levels, damage to property could reach into the millions of dollars.
Alhough there is always inherent danger to the crews because there are toxic fumes in every fire, Whiteley noted due to the paint, carpet and flooring inside the warehouse, "there was additional fire load in the building. That really played a role in this fire, they had thinners and paint, obviously carpets and laminate flooring."
Asked if the fire was suspicious, Whiteley confirmed the Ontario Fire Marshal had been contacted, but added, "We haven't even started the investigation yet so I can't comment on that."
A nearby Ultramar diesel station was unaffected.
Photo credit Ian McCallum.
