A duplexed home on Line 86 east of Elmira suffered $300,000 damage in an early-morning blaze Aug. 17.
Woolwich firefighters were called to 6516 Line 86 near Northfield Drive just before 4 a.m. When they arrived, the second storey of the house was engulfed in flames. The front of the house was empty but the homeowner said a husband and wife in their sixties rented the back unit. They were in the process of moving out.
Firefighters spent much of the morning searching the house for any sign that the couple might be inside, although it was doubtful since two of the three cars they owned were gone. Police were able to track the couple down around 9 a.m. outside of the region.
Fire crews from Elmira and Conestogo responded to the scene, assisted by three tanker trucks from Floradale, Conestogo and St. Jacobs. It took about two hours to get the blaze under control. Steve Wendell, district fire chief for Conestogo, said the second floor of the house received the most damage and that the main floor is still intact.
The Woolwich Fire Department is still investigating the cause.
