Morning fire destroys business near Schomberg

Fire destroys business in King Township A fiery explosion destroyed a business on a rural road in King Township. CTV Barrie's Aileen Doyle has more.

A business has been destroyed after a morning fire near Schomberg.

Explosions were heard as flames burned inside the business on the 17 Sideroad, near Highway 27 on Friday. The building was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on scene.

“Terrifying,” neighbour Nancy Dockrill says. “I woke up to a very loud bang, that actually shook my home.”

“All you could see was flames and black smoke, then maybe five then minutes after that another large bang again that also shook the house. I realized it's something exploding in the building.”

The two-storey structure later collapsed. Officials believe the explosions were likely caused by material inside the workshop, possibly propane tanks.

“We could not make entry inside due to the fire load itself, and we were also dealing with other hazards,” says King Township fire chief James Wall.

No one was injured. Heavy equipment was used to move around the debris.

The cause isn’t believed to be suspicious. Damage is estimated at $250,000.

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office has been notified.