Two structures at Guelph encampment destroyed by fire

A witness told CTV News she called 911 after noticing smoke coming from a wooded area in Guelph, Ont.

Two structures set up in a wooded area in Guelph have been destroyed by a large fire.

The Guelph Police Service confirmed they received several reports of a fire in the Stone Road West and College Avenue West area around 6:25 p.m. Sunday.

One of the people who called for help was Zoe Hind, who happened to be driving in the area.

“We saw a bunch of black smoke coming from the forest,” Hind said. “When we drove over, we thought maybe someone’s house was on fire. We realized it was a forest.”

She said as they got closer, she could feel the heat radiating from the flames.

“You could hear the popping and the trees were falling down. We had to call 911,” she said. “A couple minutes later they all showed up and told everyone to get out.”

When emergency responders arrived, police officers and members of the Guelph Fire Department found an encampment with two structures that were already engulfed in flames.

The fire department quickly extinguished the blaze and no injuries were reported. Police said they did not see anyone in the area during the incident.