Champlain building destroyed by fire

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June 28, 2009

By DAN HEATH The Press Republican Sun Jun 28, 2009, 04:43 PM EDT

CHAMPLAIN — A quick response saved two neighboring structures when a suspicious fire destroyed a building in the heart of downtown Champlain.

Champlain Fire Chief Chris Trombley said no one was injured in the early morning blaze at 1170 Main St. No one was living in the house at the time, he said.

The two-story wood and brick building was recently purchased in the Clinton County tax sale by Luc Weiler of Beaconsfield, Quebec. He was contacted at about noon and was in downtown Champlain at 3:30 p.m. but declined to be interviewed. He said he did not have insurance.

Firefighters were called out at 1:56 a.m.

“When we arrived on scene, heavy fire was coming out of the exterior of the building,” Trombley said.

Firefighters’ immediate concern was to contain the fire and keep it from spreading to buildings about 10 to 15 feet away on the east and west sides. Trombley said neither of those two buildings sustained damage.

Efforts to extinguish the fire were hampered by the close proximity of the neighboring buildings, as well as heavy fog and thick smoke. A lot of debris inside was left by the former residents, the chief said.

Firefighters called in an excavator from Randy Bedard Construction.

“We used that to gain access and effectively fight the fire,” he said.

Trombley said other portions of the building collapsed at several different times, always a dangerous occurrence.

Champlain received automatic mutual aid from the Rouses Point Fire Department. Firefighters from the Altona, Chazy, Mooers, West Chazy, Lacolle (Quebec) and Hemmingford (Quebec) fire departments also provided mutual aid.

Alburgh (Vt.) and St. Bernard (Quebec) firefighters were on standby at the Champlain Fire Station. Most departments were back in service by 8 a.m., but Champlain firefighters were working on the smoldering rubble into this afternoon and expected to be there until 5 p.m.

The rubble pile, about 15 feet in height, was taped off. It nearly filled the property, some bricks even reached the sidewalk and parking spaces.

The tape stretched from the two-story apartment building on the east side to the two-story, debris-filled building to the west. The latter was also purchased by Weiler in the tax sale.

Champlain resident John Southwick said Henry Falcon operated a pharmacy at that location at one time.

Trombley said the structure that burned is known as the Zweers building. It was once the residence of Theresa and Wallace Zweers.

Thousands of gallons of water from hydrants and the nearby Great Chazy River were used to extinguish the flames, he said.

Main Street (Route 9) was closed to traffic until about 10 this morning. A portion of Elm Street was also closed for a while.

The fire was reported by a local person passing by, he said.

The fire is believed to be suspicious, Trombley said, as there was no electrical power to the building.

“Several people noticed kids around the area at the time.”

The fire remains under investigation, the chief said, and people are still being interviewed about the blaze.

E-mail Dan Heath at:

dheath@pressrepublican.com