Fire destroys McMunn & Yates Building Supply store in Thompson

TheMcMunn & Yates Building Supply store in Thompson, Man. was destroyed in a fire on the weekend.

RCMP officers notified the fire department immediately when theywere flagged down by a passerby who saw smoke coming from a building on Station Road Saturday at around 9:15 p.m., the policesaid in a news release on Monday.

Fire crews arrived and started to fight the rapidly growing flames, while police evacuated the nearbyThompson Wellbriety Centre.

Nobody was injured or believed to be in the building supply store at the time, the RCMP said. The cause of the fire is unknown andthe Office of the Fire Commission is assisting in the ongoing investigation.

Ashling Sweeny, the acting fire chief, said crews fought the fire until around 2p.m. on Sunday.

"No one got hurt," Sweeny said. The "most important thing is the safety of our firefighters, men and women and all the people that were working to help with the fire, everybodywas safe."

Debra Pouliot, the general manager of the Thompson Chamber of Commerce, said the store has been part of the community for at least 30 years.

"It's a staple business in the community and we are really going to miss them until they're up and running again," Pouliot said.

Thompson resident Hilda Fitzner saw the fire from her ninth floor apartment in Princeton Towers, which she also manages.She saw the first responders and said "it just seemed like the fire took off."

The next move

Mayor Colleen Smooksaid although the interior of the building was destroyed, McMunn & Yates still has access to its lumber and auxiliary building, which was about 40 feet away from the fire.

She credited the fire department forcontaining the incident to the storefront, noting there's anew healing centre and car dealerships nearby.

Smook said the store manager is already thinking of how and where he can get his employees back to work.

Pouliot said the community will help.

"We are with you, if there's anything we can do as a community, as a chamber, as a friend, reach out, we will be here for anything that you need," Pouliotsaid.