HISTORY
FIRES
FIRES
TIMELINE OF FIRES THAT DESTROYED COMPANY & COMMUNITY PROPERTIES & BUSINESSES
by Gail Hussey-Weir
November 2025
by Gail Hussey-Weir
November 2025
These are some known fires as reported in local newspapers:
May 26, 1904: The store of W.T. Shirran, general merchant, was destroyed by fire. (I believe this was near Dominion Pier.)
November 6, 1904: The hotel of James Corran, previously owned by Mrs. English, was destroyed by fire.
July 5, 1907: Dominion Pier was practically destroyed by fire. The Boiler House, Main Haulage Engine, Bucket Conveyor and Trestle were burned. The Dominion Company's operations were tied up for a month while double shifts were put on to repair the damage and rebuild the pier.
November 25, 1910: A store run by a man named "Cheap Joe" was consumed by fire with all its contents.
July 17, 1912: A big fire occurred on The Green when stores owned by R.T. Kent and Abram Cohen were destroyed, as well as a dwelling occupied by P.A O'Brien and family.
February 6, 1914: The premises of I. Goldstone were levelled by fire, and Swedland's Store nearby caught fire. (As far as I can determine, the Goldstone store was on Town Square on the corner of No. 2 Road.)
In August, 1914: When war was declared, much of the Wabana mining operation was shut down, resulting in somewhere between 500 and 600 men being laid off; only Dominion's No. 2 Mine was still working. This affected businesses on the Island. In August, there was a rash of fires in local stores, and the insurance companies were reported to be cancelling their risks on Bell Island for the duration of mining slow-down.
October 28, 1916: The Dominion Boat Club (probably located near the corner of Town Square and No. 2 Road) was destroyed by fire and only the efforts of the Fire Brigade saved the nearby Goldstone home.
March 24, 1917: The Dominion Company's east dry house was destroyed by fire. A large water tank outside the building was saved by the efforts of the Fire Brigade.
October 17, 1917: The Foreman's dry house at Dominion No. 3 was destroyed by fire.
In November, 1919: The store of Walter Nichols at West Mines was destroyed by fire.
December 25, 1921: The store of Elias Basha and the home of Edward Newton were destroyed by fire. The residence of R.T. Kent was extensively damaged. Only a change of wind and the good work of the Fire Brigade save the Wabana Drug Store and prevented Th Green from being wiped out. Damage was estimated at $25,000.
In November 1926: Three barns filled with hay were destroyed by fire that month. The caused was said to be spontaneous combustion. The barns were owned by John Kennedy, Edward Butler and James Dwyer.
In the Fall of 1928: John Murphy lost his barn and 9 tons of hay in the first serious fire on Bell Island in a year.
April 30, 1930: Nathan Cohen's bowling alleys on Bennett Street were completely destroyed by fire. (This building was in the location where Bowring's Store stood in the 1960s.)
June 8, 1930: The Belt House at Dominion Pier was destroyed by fire, resulting in the closure of two mines until the building could be replaced; also, the east and west haulages could no longer operate.
July 13, 1930: The former R.C. High School and C.C.C. Armoury on Court House Hill was destroyed by fire.
October 13, 1931: Albert Sapp's house and store on Bennett Street and Bert Bell's store nearby were destroyed by fire at a loss of $25,000.
April 10, 1932: Nathan Cohen's lower store on Town Square and the dwelling of Elias Gosine and family were destroyed by fire. The firemen saved the Mines' Post Office and the home of W.F. Billingsley.
On June 25, 1932: Thomas F. Neary was burning over his 100-acre farm near No. 4 Mine when the flames got out of hand and burned over a mile of wooded land outside his boundary before being brought under control.
In the last week of July, 1933: A bush fire broke out between Middleton Avenue and the cliff, and burned over a large wooded area as far as Neary's west farm.
December 23, 1934: Fire destroyed one end of the dry house at No. 6 Mine.
January 14-15, 1937: Town Square was destroyed by fire. 14 businesses and seven homes were wiped out. (See the descriptions of this fire in the off-shoot page "Town Square Fires.")
January 26, 1938: An old building at the bottom of Town Square that formerly housed the Avalon Telephone Company was destroyed by fire. The adjoining residence, occupied by electrician William Spencer of St. John's, was also burned.
February 17, 1938: The Main Hoist at No. 4 Mine was destroyed by fire, closing the mine and putting 300 men out of work until a temporary hoist was erected below the previous one, enabling the mine to reopen on March 1.
March 10, 1938: 4 businesses on The Green burned: Austin Neary's grocery store & dwelling; Joseph Carbage's store & dwelling; a building previously owned by Simon Tuma, then sold to Joseph Ellis, who had a stock of dry goods there; and Ameen Basha's bowling alley, pool room & dwelling.
January 6, 1939: A fire which originated in the home of James Fowler at the Front destroyed the house owned by Robert Martin and an unoccupied dwelling belonging to the estate of J.B. Martin Ltd.
May 17, 1939: The store and house of Jacob Rideout on Bennett Street were destroyed by fire.
February 11, 1941: The DOSCO office at Bell Island was gutted by fire.
September 1941: A fire occurred in the bakery of Mr. Edward Parsons at the rear of the Hotel on The Green. An overheated stovepipe running from the oven to the chimney set fire to the woodwork in the vicinity. The Firemen responded promptly when the Company's whistle sounded, and as there was a good supply of water available, they had no difficulty in extinguishing the fire with the hose.
October 14, 1941: An enquiry was being conducted before Magistrate Mulcahy into the cause of the fire which destroyed the premises of Elias Basha.
March 4, 1942: In the height of the storm on Bell Island, an outbreak of fire occurred in the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Skanes, West Mines, when a defective chimney ignited the woodwork. The occupants were aroused at 5:30 a.m. by the smell of smoke. Mr. T.J. Dobbin, who lived nearby, was called, and he and Mr. Skanes brought the outbreak under control after several hours work. They were unable to call the Firemen owing to lack of a telephone connection, and had to subdue the blaze single-handed.
September 1, 1942: Firemen were called out to fight the first bush fire for the season. The outbreak was south of Butlerville and west of the West Tramway. It was put out with the aid of the new portable pumper and a long line of hose from the West Village [West Mines?].
March 5, 1943: the 2-storey United Church School on Davidson Avenue (near the site of the present-day Jackson United Church) burned.
December 1945: No. 6 Dryhouse and Lamphouse were destroyed by fire.
February 25, 1946: The Company's Machine Shop was completely destroyed by a fire that broke out at 5:30 a.m.
April 3, 1954: Fire destroyed the old main office of DOSCO, which was located in the area at the NW corner of Town Square, where the Rolling Pin Bakery and the Music Hall of Fame are today.
May 20, 1956: the Dominion Staff House burned, killing one resident.
August 1956: The Dominion Volunteer Fire Brigade was kept busy with bush fires that threatened the community.
May 1957: The Dominion Volunteer Fire Brigade was kept busy for several weeks fighting 30 grass and bush fires. On three occasions, several houses were endangered if the fires had gained headway.
December 31, 1957: The Daily News reported "A special Civil Defence fire pumper has been stationed at Bell Island under the supervision of Civil Defence but operated and maintained by the Wabana Town Council. Many volunteers from the Island have received training at the Central Fire Station in St. John's and are capable of performing their respective duties most efficiently."
March 8, 1958: Fire destroyed the first Royal Canadian Legion building.
Summer 1958: The Paradise Delicatessen on Bennett Street was gutted by fire.
November 1, 1960: Brian and Regina Hickey, son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Hickey, the Front, lost their lives by fire when visiting a neighbour's house when the home was enveloped in flames.
August 1960: Bush fire at West Mines put out by water from the West Dam. There were two bush fires in the West Dam area in August and three homes were gutted by fire, two at West Mines and one on Quigley's Line.
April 25, 1961: The Daily News reported that 9 people were homeless after a weekend fire.
August 1961: A large area of forest land at the East End of Bell Island burned.
March 19, 1962: The Evening Telegram reported that arson was suspected in recent Bell Island fires.
December 9, 1963: fire destroyed a gasoline-operated steam boiler & its housing and construction equipment at the building site of the Bell Island community hospital.
December 10, 1963: the first St. Augustine's Anglican School burned.
December 17, 1963: 3 buildings, containing 5 businesses, on Town Square burned: Lawton's Drug Store/Eaton's Order Office/Andrew's Barbour Shop; Mercer's Snack Bar; Bowring Brothers Supermarket (formerly Agnew Surpass Shoe Store in building owned by Benny Glick)
December 13, 1969: Immaculate Conception RC Church, Convent & School on Town Square burned, along with the J.J. Tucker residence to the south of the church buildings.
July 2, 1981, the second St. Augustine's School burned.
February 16, 1988: 3 businesses on Town Square burned: Gary Gosine's automotive & clothing store; Benjamin Hammond's clothing & footwear store; and the Tom Kelloway's Fountain Lounge.
June 23, 1988: the Elias Basha building that housed Nancy's Dress Shop on Town Square burned.
January 19, 2020: the former St. Edward's Convent, then called the Grand Wabana Inn, on Memorial Street burned.
November 4, 2021: the former fish plant, located next to the ferry terminal, burned.
May 26, 1904: The store of W.T. Shirran, general merchant, was destroyed by fire. (I believe this was near Dominion Pier.)
November 6, 1904: The hotel of James Corran, previously owned by Mrs. English, was destroyed by fire.
July 5, 1907: Dominion Pier was practically destroyed by fire. The Boiler House, Main Haulage Engine, Bucket Conveyor and Trestle were burned. The Dominion Company's operations were tied up for a month while double shifts were put on to repair the damage and rebuild the pier.
November 25, 1910: A store run by a man named "Cheap Joe" was consumed by fire with all its contents.
July 17, 1912: A big fire occurred on The Green when stores owned by R.T. Kent and Abram Cohen were destroyed, as well as a dwelling occupied by P.A O'Brien and family.
February 6, 1914: The premises of I. Goldstone were levelled by fire, and Swedland's Store nearby caught fire. (As far as I can determine, the Goldstone store was on Town Square on the corner of No. 2 Road.)
In August, 1914: When war was declared, much of the Wabana mining operation was shut down, resulting in somewhere between 500 and 600 men being laid off; only Dominion's No. 2 Mine was still working. This affected businesses on the Island. In August, there was a rash of fires in local stores, and the insurance companies were reported to be cancelling their risks on Bell Island for the duration of mining slow-down.
October 28, 1916: The Dominion Boat Club (probably located near the corner of Town Square and No. 2 Road) was destroyed by fire and only the efforts of the Fire Brigade saved the nearby Goldstone home.
March 24, 1917: The Dominion Company's east dry house was destroyed by fire. A large water tank outside the building was saved by the efforts of the Fire Brigade.
October 17, 1917: The Foreman's dry house at Dominion No. 3 was destroyed by fire.
In November, 1919: The store of Walter Nichols at West Mines was destroyed by fire.
December 25, 1921: The store of Elias Basha and the home of Edward Newton were destroyed by fire. The residence of R.T. Kent was extensively damaged. Only a change of wind and the good work of the Fire Brigade save the Wabana Drug Store and prevented Th Green from being wiped out. Damage was estimated at $25,000.
In November 1926: Three barns filled with hay were destroyed by fire that month. The caused was said to be spontaneous combustion. The barns were owned by John Kennedy, Edward Butler and James Dwyer.
In the Fall of 1928: John Murphy lost his barn and 9 tons of hay in the first serious fire on Bell Island in a year.
April 30, 1930: Nathan Cohen's bowling alleys on Bennett Street were completely destroyed by fire. (This building was in the location where Bowring's Store stood in the 1960s.)
June 8, 1930: The Belt House at Dominion Pier was destroyed by fire, resulting in the closure of two mines until the building could be replaced; also, the east and west haulages could no longer operate.
July 13, 1930: The former R.C. High School and C.C.C. Armoury on Court House Hill was destroyed by fire.
October 13, 1931: Albert Sapp's house and store on Bennett Street and Bert Bell's store nearby were destroyed by fire at a loss of $25,000.
April 10, 1932: Nathan Cohen's lower store on Town Square and the dwelling of Elias Gosine and family were destroyed by fire. The firemen saved the Mines' Post Office and the home of W.F. Billingsley.
On June 25, 1932: Thomas F. Neary was burning over his 100-acre farm near No. 4 Mine when the flames got out of hand and burned over a mile of wooded land outside his boundary before being brought under control.
In the last week of July, 1933: A bush fire broke out between Middleton Avenue and the cliff, and burned over a large wooded area as far as Neary's west farm.
December 23, 1934: Fire destroyed one end of the dry house at No. 6 Mine.
January 14-15, 1937: Town Square was destroyed by fire. 14 businesses and seven homes were wiped out. (See the descriptions of this fire in the off-shoot page "Town Square Fires.")
January 26, 1938: An old building at the bottom of Town Square that formerly housed the Avalon Telephone Company was destroyed by fire. The adjoining residence, occupied by electrician William Spencer of St. John's, was also burned.
February 17, 1938: The Main Hoist at No. 4 Mine was destroyed by fire, closing the mine and putting 300 men out of work until a temporary hoist was erected below the previous one, enabling the mine to reopen on March 1.
March 10, 1938: 4 businesses on The Green burned: Austin Neary's grocery store & dwelling; Joseph Carbage's store & dwelling; a building previously owned by Simon Tuma, then sold to Joseph Ellis, who had a stock of dry goods there; and Ameen Basha's bowling alley, pool room & dwelling.
January 6, 1939: A fire which originated in the home of James Fowler at the Front destroyed the house owned by Robert Martin and an unoccupied dwelling belonging to the estate of J.B. Martin Ltd.
May 17, 1939: The store and house of Jacob Rideout on Bennett Street were destroyed by fire.
February 11, 1941: The DOSCO office at Bell Island was gutted by fire.
September 1941: A fire occurred in the bakery of Mr. Edward Parsons at the rear of the Hotel on The Green. An overheated stovepipe running from the oven to the chimney set fire to the woodwork in the vicinity. The Firemen responded promptly when the Company's whistle sounded, and as there was a good supply of water available, they had no difficulty in extinguishing the fire with the hose.
October 14, 1941: An enquiry was being conducted before Magistrate Mulcahy into the cause of the fire which destroyed the premises of Elias Basha.
March 4, 1942: In the height of the storm on Bell Island, an outbreak of fire occurred in the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Skanes, West Mines, when a defective chimney ignited the woodwork. The occupants were aroused at 5:30 a.m. by the smell of smoke. Mr. T.J. Dobbin, who lived nearby, was called, and he and Mr. Skanes brought the outbreak under control after several hours work. They were unable to call the Firemen owing to lack of a telephone connection, and had to subdue the blaze single-handed.
September 1, 1942: Firemen were called out to fight the first bush fire for the season. The outbreak was south of Butlerville and west of the West Tramway. It was put out with the aid of the new portable pumper and a long line of hose from the West Village [West Mines?].
March 5, 1943: the 2-storey United Church School on Davidson Avenue (near the site of the present-day Jackson United Church) burned.
December 1945: No. 6 Dryhouse and Lamphouse were destroyed by fire.
February 25, 1946: The Company's Machine Shop was completely destroyed by a fire that broke out at 5:30 a.m.
April 3, 1954: Fire destroyed the old main office of DOSCO, which was located in the area at the NW corner of Town Square, where the Rolling Pin Bakery and the Music Hall of Fame are today.
May 20, 1956: the Dominion Staff House burned, killing one resident.
August 1956: The Dominion Volunteer Fire Brigade was kept busy with bush fires that threatened the community.
May 1957: The Dominion Volunteer Fire Brigade was kept busy for several weeks fighting 30 grass and bush fires. On three occasions, several houses were endangered if the fires had gained headway.
December 31, 1957: The Daily News reported "A special Civil Defence fire pumper has been stationed at Bell Island under the supervision of Civil Defence but operated and maintained by the Wabana Town Council. Many volunteers from the Island have received training at the Central Fire Station in St. John's and are capable of performing their respective duties most efficiently."
March 8, 1958: Fire destroyed the first Royal Canadian Legion building.
Summer 1958: The Paradise Delicatessen on Bennett Street was gutted by fire.
November 1, 1960: Brian and Regina Hickey, son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Hickey, the Front, lost their lives by fire when visiting a neighbour's house when the home was enveloped in flames.
August 1960: Bush fire at West Mines put out by water from the West Dam. There were two bush fires in the West Dam area in August and three homes were gutted by fire, two at West Mines and one on Quigley's Line.
April 25, 1961: The Daily News reported that 9 people were homeless after a weekend fire.
August 1961: A large area of forest land at the East End of Bell Island burned.
March 19, 1962: The Evening Telegram reported that arson was suspected in recent Bell Island fires.
December 9, 1963: fire destroyed a gasoline-operated steam boiler & its housing and construction equipment at the building site of the Bell Island community hospital.
December 10, 1963: the first St. Augustine's Anglican School burned.
December 17, 1963: 3 buildings, containing 5 businesses, on Town Square burned: Lawton's Drug Store/Eaton's Order Office/Andrew's Barbour Shop; Mercer's Snack Bar; Bowring Brothers Supermarket (formerly Agnew Surpass Shoe Store in building owned by Benny Glick)
December 13, 1969: Immaculate Conception RC Church, Convent & School on Town Square burned, along with the J.J. Tucker residence to the south of the church buildings.
July 2, 1981, the second St. Augustine's School burned.
February 16, 1988: 3 businesses on Town Square burned: Gary Gosine's automotive & clothing store; Benjamin Hammond's clothing & footwear store; and the Tom Kelloway's Fountain Lounge.
June 23, 1988: the Elias Basha building that housed Nancy's Dress Shop on Town Square burned.
January 19, 2020: the former St. Edward's Convent, then called the Grand Wabana Inn, on Memorial Street burned.
November 4, 2021: the former fish plant, located next to the ferry terminal, burned.