KAMSACK — A 111-year-old Kamsack landmark was destroyed by fire.
The Kamsack Volunteer Fire Department was called to the Woodlander Hotel on Dec. 8 at 11:14 p.m. The Rhein Fire Department assisted for a few hours in an effort to contain the blaze.
“After arriving on the site, the department went into the building in an attempt to contain the fire,” said a statement from the Town of Kamsack. “Shortly thereafter, they realized that they would not be able to save the building so the departments turned to maintain and control efforts. They did an amazing job keeping the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings.”
At approximately 2 a.m., the east wall collapsed and sent debris outwards.
“The fire was being fought into the early morning hours. The fire truck left the scene around 2:30 p.m. and the site is still smoking,” said the town’s statement, which was received by the Kamsack Times on Dec. 9 at 4:50 p.m.
“The fire department will continue to keep an eye on it through the night and until the smouldering stops.”
Sixteen firefighters attended the fire. There were no injuries or deaths.
The cause of the fire is yet undetermined. It is under investigation. At the time of writing, the fire is not deemed to be suspicious.
Barry Hvidston, Kamsack’s town administrator, gave a shout-out to the Kamsack Fire Department, Rhein Fire Department and both the public works and water treatment departments of the Town of Kamsack.
“Without their efforts, this fire could have gotten out of control and there would have been more than one building destroyed,” he said in an email. “I would also like to give a thank you to the RCMP for their public safety monitoring and to the businesses who assisted the department over the last number of hours.”
The Woodlander Hotel was originally built in 1912, with a restaurant addition built in 1960.
“It is always devastating when a community loses a historic building,” the town’s statement said. “This structure has been a staple in the Kamsack landscape for 111 years and is sad to see it disappear.”
