Christopher Lake Heritage Hotel and Bar was destroyed by fire Tuesday (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Christopher Lake Fire

Christopher Lake business left in ashes

Mar 5, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Lakeland District and Fire Department said their efforts to save the Christopher Lake Heritage Hotel and Bar were made difficult due to the building’s size and the wind.

Firefighters were called just after 8 a.m. to the hotel and bar in Christopher Lake, the village is half an hour north of Prince Albert. The fire was so intense that neighbouring Buckland Fire and Rescue were called in assist.

Dean Timm, a local resident, was on his way to work when he noticed there was a problem at the hotel and bar.

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“I was driving by the bar to go to work, I noticed that there was smoke, heavy smoke around there, so I stopped and called 911,” he said.

Besides the smoke, Timm could see flames through the windows of the building. Timm said it did not take long for the fire to spread after he had made the call.

“Within three minutes it already burst through the window and there were flames higher than the building,” he said.

Timm said it appeared to him that the fire was in the kitchen bar part of the building before spreading to the rest of the building.

Jeannie Rip, the chief administration officer for the Village of Christopher Lake told paNOW the business is one that will be missed by residents.

“The bar has been here for many, many, many years and it’s had several owners, it is one of the staples of the community where people go and socialize, she said.

Rip explained the loss of the bar and hotel takes away a place where people from the community could come together.

“There’s lots of tournaments that are held at the bar, pool tournaments, snowmobile rallies,” she said.

There was not much left of the building after firefighters put out much of the blaze (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn