The Fire Services of St. Catharines (SCFS) posted on Twitter about a large fire at the Hernder Estate winery at 11:37 p.m. on Saturday.
“Avoid this area – do not visit the sights – firefighters from multiple departments on the scene,” he said on Twitter.
At 2 a.m. Sunday, the SCFS said the fire was still burning, bringing firefighters from Niagara Falls, Thorold, Pelham, West Niagara, West Lincoln and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Fire Chief Dave Upper told CBC Hamilton that about 63 firefighters were at the scene with 21 pieces of equipment to put out the blaze.
“The crews made an absolutely incredible stop to keep this fire in the area of origin of the banquet and showcase. And so we lost the front, say, 25 percent of the establishment, but we were able to save the other 75 per cent. of the facility “, he said in an interview on Sunday morning, noting that the warehouse and the production facilities were saved.
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– @ STCFireServices
Aper said there were three aerial water towers and firefighters hit the north side of the building with heavy water. They also used ground lines and main streams to prevent the fire from spreading to the back of the property.
Bryas Brunarski, a spokesman for Niagara Emergency Medical Services, said a man had been taken to hospital for inhalation of smoke.
He also said that three men had minor injuries, but did not want to go to the hospital after talking to the police and the fire brigade. One of them eventually drove to the hospital alone, according to Brunarski.
He added that the amount of smoke and wind made it difficult for paramedics to establish a point for assessing injuries.
Police said in a statement the Ministry of Labor has been informed.
Aper said the Fire Brigade Marshal’s Office would not be present at the scene and police have closed nearby roads as firefighters are still working on the hotspots and repairing the damage.
It is not clear what caused the fire and how much the damage will cost.
The fire is a “catastrophic loss” for the community
Upper said there was a craft show at the venue this weekend. Brittny Mio is a volunteer at The Mom Market Collective, which hosted that show on Saturday. It was scheduled to continue on Sunday. He said about 50 sellers were in attendance and while Saturday was happy, Sunday was dark. “It’s not just the products that were lost in the fire, it’s all the time and months they spent making all these products,” Mio said. “They have lost everything.” He said there is a GoFundMe page for vendor support. Mio hopes for $ 500 per supplier. The mayor of St. Catharines Walter Sendzik wrote about the fire on Sunday morning on social media, describing it as a “significant loss” for the community, despite the fact that the entire winery was not destroyed. “It’s our thoughts [with] “The Hernder family today (Fred, Chris & Angel and their family and employees) with the catastrophic loss of the iconic buildings at Hernder Estate Winery,” he wrote on Facebook. “It has hosted so many weddings and events over the years. Hernder is one of Niagara’s oldest wineries – a pioneer in the grape and wine industry in many ways.” com. St. Lori Littleton also wrote on Twitter that her thoughts are with the family. “This is a devastating loss for our community. I got married there with countless others.”
