A Chatham-Kent councillor who witnessed Saturday's massive fire in downtown Chatham says it was like nothing he has ever seen.
Michael Bondy lives on Victoria Ave. which is close to where the blaze broke out Saturday afternoon in the Dover St. and Thames St. area.
Bondy says he walked outside that afternoon and smelled "something acidic burning." He proceeded to drive to the grocery store and then noticed several firetrucks down the street. He says he thought it was only a minor fire, but decided to stop for a minute anyway.
"All of a sudden, it almost seemed like it exploded. It just burst into flames. Fire starts shooting out of the roof [and] there was an explosion that shook the ground from underneath me. I became a little concerned for my own safety, to be honest. We were very close and all of sudden, you could feel the heat on your face from the fire," explains Bondy.
Bondy says he stayed to watch the spectacle of the fire.
"The fire itself was unbelievable...the way it just engulfed in a matter of minutes. Then the fire was raging and flying into the air. That went on for 20 to 25 minutes and all the while, the firemen are blasting like six hoses at this thing," he says.
He adds that many drivers, who were eager to see the fire, caused some chaos on the roads.
"Downtown Chatham was a gridlock. There were so many people that came to see what was going on that the downtown core was stuck! It was like the biggest traffic jam I've ever seen in the city...it was like the Santa Claus parade." says Bondy.
Bondy says the homes in his neighborhood were not damaged by the fire.
Church’s Army and Outdoor Military Surplus and the Grill Lite hot tubs store, on the other hand, were destroyed by the fire.
Fire officials have yet to provide a cause for the fire and are still investigating.