MARK TAYTI - Welland Tribune Staff

PORT COLBORNE — A landmark that has stood more than 130 years burned to the ground early Friday morning.

Firefighters arrived to the White Rd call at about 4:20 a.m. yesterday to find smoke billowing out of The Reeb House Tavern.

"The building is totally destroyed", Port Colborne fire Chief Tom Cartwright reported late friday morning after a backhoe was brought in to level the burned-out structure.

Cartwright said frigid weather and high winds hindered efforts to save the building. The chief said the historic building had seen several renovations and lacked any fire stops. He said flames travelled through the building quickly. Once the fire got outside, the wind fanned the flames. At that point, "We were done," Cartwright said.

During the call, Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services called in water tankers from Fort Erie and Wainfleet. About 25 Port Colborne firefighters fought the blaze. Police closed a section of Hwy. 3 during the fire and it remained closed a good portion of the day. No one was injured and the owner was on the scene during the blaze.

The chief was still investigating the nature of the fire late Friday morning and had yet to make a decision with regard to calling in the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office to conduct its own investigation. Cartwright was unable to determine a damage dollar figure.

"At this point, we’re not sure what was inside the building."

As for the weather, "Cold doesn’t mix well with water," Cartwright said. "It didn’t take long for things to ice up."

The municipality assisted by bringing in sand to spread around the area that firefighters were working.

Local historian Don Anger said the well-known tavern was at least 130 years old but was not a designated heritage site. "It is listed in the Page’s Historical Atlas of 1876," Anger said. "Another old, historical landmark is gone."

mtayti@wellandtribune.ca