Darkness settled quietly over Milligan’s Pond Monday night, broken only by the sudden glow of flames as fire tore through an abandoned encampment, forcing Barrie’s firefighters into action.
Crew members responded swiftly to the wooded area off Boys Street after alerts came in around 9 p.m., finding a blaze consuming typical encampment debris across a swath roughly 18 by 12 metres. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and within thirty minutes, the fire was subdued. Barrie Fire Deputy Chief Eric MacFadden, who confirmed the incident, noted the fire’s origin in what appeared to be an empty makeshift shelter, a familiar but sobering sight as the city faces mounting challenges with unsanctioned camps.
With the city pressing forward on dismantling several encampments, including the one at Milligan’s Pond, the fire’s timing underscores a volatile intersection of urgent safety and difficult social realities. Only recently have “No Admittance” signs appeared around the pond’s wooded edges, backed by private security restricting entry and city bylaw officers working alongside police and regional agencies. Every measure here is more than a matter of public order—it marks the city’s attempt to balance immediate risk with obligations to vulnerable residents.
Officials say coordinated responses involve partners like the County of Simcoe, Barrie Police, and Environmental Services, each playing a part in both crisis containment and post-incident cleanup. While the Ministry of the Environment was notified, it did not need to intervene. The site, now cleared, remains a stark reminder of ongoing tensions between safety, policy, and compassion.
Today, Milligan’s Pond sits behind barriers, its former makeshift dwellings erased but not forgotten. As the city continues to grapple with homelessness, fire response becomes more than a technical drill; it is an emblem of the complex stories woven through Barrie’s wooded corners and the ongoing search for solutions that do not ignite new crises.
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Barrie firefighters knock down encampment fire at Milligan’s Pond
