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MARKDALE -- First a tornado wreaked havoc on the town two weeks ago. Now fire has destroyed its biggest employer.
Chapman's ice cream plant in downtown Markdale caught fire about 10 a.m. yesterday. Firefighters from as far as Thornbury and Durham pitched in to battle the day-long blaze, which sent thick, dark clouds of smoke high into the air.
A mandatory boil water order was issued around 1:30 p.m. for all residents on the Markdale water system. They were also asked to limit water use. Meanwhile, about 60 homes within a four-block radius of the plant were evacuated. Residents were told they could stay at the Markdale arena until the all-clear was given.
Chapman's vice-president Ashley Chapman said all 200 staff on shift were accounted for and no one was hurt. He said the fire was caused by a welder's spark from a crew working on an expansion at the building.
Grey Road 12, the main street running east and west through Markdale, was closed west of town and traffic was rerouted.
Thomas Oates lives within a block of the plant. He was on the phone when he first noticed black smoke coming from the plant.
"I went down the road. My neighbour was on a bike and got ahead of me. When I got down to the building along Isla Street, the roof was fully engulfed. There were about four firemen with a hose trying to hose it down, but it was moving pretty fast," said Oates, who turned to go back home to get his camera but collapsed due to a heart condition.
"I collapsed on the way back home and the public works people helped me get back home. When I got rested up I was told to evacuate. I picked up my cat. I started walking toward the community centre."
Ten in-patients at the Centre Grey Hospital in Markdale just a few blocks east of the fire were evacuated.
Maureen Solecki, president and CEO of the Grey Bruce Health Services, said eight of the patients were taken to Meaford hospital and two were able to go home.
She said the hospital in Markdale remained open but emergency officials decided it would be best to evacuate as a precaution.
Smoke from the fire blew south directly toward Grey Gables Nursing Home.
Administrator Shirley Person said around noon that although there were no plans to evacuate, staff from the county seniors home were prepared in case they needed to move quickly.
Plant maintenance worker Mike Hamilton was the first to notice the fire and turn in the alarm. He was in one of the production rooms in the northwest corner of the 150-year-old former creamery.
"I heard a loud snap sound, like a firecracker went off. When I looked up in the corner of the room, the ceiling was all on fire. There was a room full of people. I started fire procedure, trying to get everybody out. Over the loudspeaker I said there was a fire in the P.C. (President's Choice) room," he said.
Hamilton said the fire spread and quickly turned into a major blaze.
"Everybody got out," said Hamilton.
Bob Buckton was on his break when he heard a supervisor being paged advising there was a fire in the President's Choice production area.
"I thought OK, I'll go and see what I can do to help out. I was a firefighter for 30 years.
"When I got to the PC room, which was at the other end of the plant, the smoke was already starting to thicken then and Mike (Hamilton) said it's bad, get everybody out, so we just went from room to room to make sure everybody was out," said Buckton.
Buckton said early on it looked as if firefighters were getting the upper hand, then "all hell broke loose," sending billowing black smoke up into the sky.
Buckton praised owners David and Penny Chapman and son Ashley Chapman, whose concern was for safety. "Their first concern was, is everyone out. After we assured them everyone was accounted for, there seemed to be a sense of relief," said Buckton.
The company cancelled all shifts at the plant for its 400 employees.
The Chapmans say the company should be OK as it still has its distribution centre to fill ice cream orders. Plans are to rebuild in Markdale.