Heart Lake Road church damaged in fire

Fire damaged this church at the Mount Alverno Retreat Centre on Heart Lake Road Friday.

Caledon fire crews were called out early Friday morning to deal with a blaze at the Mount Alverno Retreat Centre on Heart Lake Road.

They report they responded to a 9-1-1 call at 4:23 a.m., and upon arrival, they reported seeing flames visible through the roof.

The church is attached to a residential dorm style building which was occupied with children staying at the retreat centre for the week. All occupants evacuated the building safely and there were no injuries.

Crews from Mono Mills, Caledon village and Alton responded to the alarm. Due to the location and volume of the fire, additional help was requested and a rural tanker shuttle was implemented.

The first arriving volunteer firefighters from Mono Mills and Caledon Village initiated an interior fire attack, conducted a primary search of the church and accounted for the 38 students and five staff living in the dormitory.

Investigation revealed that the fire was originally discovered by a staff member of the facility who started the evacuation and activated the fire alarm.

The Town fire department praised the volunteers for doing "an incredible job of containing the fire and ensuring the safety of the residents, particularly given the location of the fire and the bitterly cold conditions."

Fire damage was primarily contained to the area of origin and interior roof structure of the church. Damage is estimated at $300,000.

The department also observed that had the fire not been found by a staff member, the loss would have been of a much higher, since the Ontario Fire Code does not require heat and smoke detection systems in the worship areas of churches.