LAURIE WEIR

A fire broke out at Costello and Company Monuments on Highway 43 near Smiths Falls Monday afternoon, causing a total loss of the business.

Because of the extent of damage, the Office of the Fire Marshall was called.

Drummond-North Elmsley/Tay Valley Fire Rescue’s BBD&E Station and South Sherbrooke Station were the first stations to respond at 1:05 p.m. Monday, July 22, and they worked alongside other Lanark County fire departments through Mutual Aid.

When the initial 40 or so firefighters arrived on the scene, the building was already fully engulfed.

“Smiths Falls Fire Department, Montague Fire Department, Beckwith Fire Department, Mississippi Mills Fire Department, Perth Fire Department, and Carleton Place Fire Department all assisted with manpower, tankers, and station standbys,” said Darren Gibson, deputy fire chief with DNETV Fire Rescue.

The fire was under control by 4 p.m., but crews remained on scene until 8 p.m.

“Unfortunately, it was a total loss and no dollar loss estimates are available at this time,” Gibson said in an email.

Megan Moore, administrative assistant/treasurer for Drummond North Elmsley said in a phone call with this publication that there was a work crew in the area Monday paving Highway 43, and traffic was rerouted.

No injuries were sustained during the fire; no one was in the building then.

“No, thankfully,” Moore said. “No injuries were sustained by any of our firefighters or other firefighters.”

No information is available as to what started the blaze. Moore said there is no investigation by the OFM, but they were called due to the dollar value of the loss.

Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Edward Sanchuk, Community Engagement and Mobilization Coordinator of the OPP West Region said OPP were dispatched to the address for a fully engulfed structure fire and were asked to close the roadways for the fire department.

“As a result of the investigation, the fire is NOT being treated as suspicious,” Sanchuk said.