Industrial fire devastates Notre Dame de Lourdes business

Flames lit up the sky Saturday night following a fire in Notre Dame de Lourdes

Flames lit up the sky at Comte Industries in Notre Dame de Lourdes Saturday night.

A CTV viewer says a family member saw the fire just before 9 p.m. and they called fire crews to come fight the blaze. Three large industrial shops caught fire containing cattle equipment and hopper bins.

An orange glow could be seen in the area for hours while the fire continued.

The viewer tells CTV at one point, propane tanks could be heard exploding at the agricultural manufacturing business, lighting up the sky every few seconds.

No one was inside at the time of the fire. There have been no reported injuries.

Emergency crews found the main building of the steel manufacturing business engulfed in flames. The town's fire chief told CTV that crews from three neighbouring towns, and neighbours themselves, pitched in the douse the blaze.

Local people have been bringing coffee for the firefighters and have local businesses opened their doors to offer a place to warm up. A local Hutterite colony also brought a water tanker.

"We just asked what we could do to help and said, 'Ok,' and we just jumped in, I guess," said Denis Collet, who owns a neighbouring business.

He volunteered a few water trucks and gathered other supplies to help battle the flames, but little was salvaged of the important local business, which completely lost their front office and production shop, leaving about 20 people out work.

"They're a big employer of ours in this community," said Collet. "We're all close, and everybody knows each other and, yeah, it hits hard."

Firefighters told CTV the business is a total loss.

The cause of the fire is unknown. The Brandon fire commissioner is investigating.

- With a report by Michelle Gerwing