UPDATE Wednesday at 9 am. They had to bring in an excavator to access the final areas to put out the fire. It was fully out Tuesday around noon.
The damage was too extensive to determine the cause of the fire. It is not considered suspicious.
ORIGINAL STORY – A vacant home was destroyed in a major fire which began late Monday night in Belleville.
Just before 11 pm, Belleville Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 100 block of Purdy Street on the old West Hill.
It was a single-family residence that was reportedly vacant.
Firefighters initially made entry and attempted a rapid attack approach, but the fire had spread so rapidly that conditions forced firefighters out of the building into a defensive position.
Deputy Fire Chief Mark Shannon stated the fire department had to bring in an excavator to access hot spots as it is not safe or stable enough for crews to enter.
There were some tense moments, but the fire was kept from spreading to adjacent homes.
Belleville Police had the area blocked off and Hastings Quinte Paramedics were on standby. There were no reported injuries.
There is no word on the cause of the fire. The house is a total loss with damages estimated at $500,000.
The firefighting effort was still underway as of 8:30 Tuesday morning. Officials say the blaze has been very stubborn and conditions are very cold.
