Fire at Piroth apartment building in Picton
Administrator | Jul 12, 2011 | Comments 3
Prince Edward County firefighters on the scene just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 fighting a fire at the Piroth apartment building, 44 Main St., West, Picton. The day’s scorching heat continued into the evening as apartment residents, neighbours and passersby watched the firefighters knock down the fire quickly and begin airing out the building. The building is named after former Picton mayor, the late Albert Piroth who was once its landlord. Prince Edward County OPP officers were at the LCBO intersection to guide traffic away from the scene.
An immediate call by cell phone and a quick response by the Prince Edward County Fire Department saved one of Picton’s most beautiful historic apartment buildings from a devastating fire Tuesday night.
“Another five minutes and that fire could have been disastrous,” said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Rutter. “Because of the logistics of moving through the three-storey building and the fact that we had to fight the fire from the third floor, we called in Hallowell firefighters to help out. It was a quick knock-down. Chasing the fire up into the roof and the rafters was the challenge for firefighters.”
Damage is estimated at $100,000 and the cause is suspected to be electrical. The building has eight apartments. “The Salvation Army arrived on the scene to offer assistance, but we were told all of the residents had a place they could go,” said Rutter. “It is really nice to see how our community comes together like this.”
A fire crew stayed overnight at the site on watch and to finish the investigation Wednesday morning.
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Today I came across this article about the Piroth Apartment building in Picton. I did not know about the fire and hope the building has been restored.
I am Albert Piroth’s daughter and Nettie Burr’s great grand-daughter. After my father died in 1999, I owned the property for 2 years.
I saw the comment written by Jan Syer who lived there as a young girl. Her assumption about how Dad acquired the building is incorrect. He purchased it from my mother, Madelon Piroth, a few years before they divorced in 1975.
She is correct in stating that for many years it was known as the Burr Apartments and I have memories of visiting Grandma Burr in her second floor apartment.
Marilyn Harris, N. Saanich, BC
Good job fire fighters
I grew up in this apartment building after the war when it was owned by Nettie Burr.Children were not allowed, but when my mother found out she was expecting, Nettie made an exception and I lived there for 10 years. It was always called the Burr Apartments. Mrs. Burr lived on the second floor and kept a watchful eye on all of her tenants’ comings and goings. She was a wonderful lady.
Al Piroth was married to Nettie’s granddaughter and only inherited the building (perhaps in a divorce settlement).