Fire at Riverbank under investigation
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Brandon Fire and Emergency Services and an insurance company are investigating a fire on the grounds of the Riverbank Discovery Centre that occurred earlier this month.
A fireplace was destroyed and a picnic shelter damaged after a fire broke out on the morning of Oct. 5. Emergency crews responded and the investigation is continuing, BFES Chief Terry Parlow told the Sun on Wednesday.
The cause of the fire is not known.
The fireplace at a picnic shelter at the Riverbank Discovery Centre — one of two at the facility — was destroyed after a fire broke out on the morning of Oct. 5. (Photos by Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
The fireplace was being used during the previous week as part of National Truth and Reconciliation Day, with ceremonies taking place there until the morning of Oct. 4.
Riverbank Discovery Centre executive director Dean Hammond said it’s still too early to speculate about what happened, calling it an “unfortunate” incident.
“There’s no point in speculating on probable cause because we just don’t know,” he said Wednesday.
Hammond said the organization will wait for its insurance company to report back before deciding next steps.
“Once the insurer does their thing and gets back to us, then of course we’ll evaluate,” he said. The organization will look at potentially how, or if, it will rebuild, and how the fireplace can be used in the future.
The fire did “touch upon the roof,” he said, but other equipment, including nearby picnic tables, weren’t affected.
The remains of the fireplace at the picnic shelter. Fire officials and an insurance company are investigating the incident.
He said he hopes to hear back from the insurance company in the near future with damage estimates and the cause of the fire.
» alambert@brandonsun.com