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At 11:30 p.m. on July 13, 1961 a call was received from a Mrs. Clark of the Muskoka Beach Road who reported a terrible noise, which she believed to be an aircraft explosion as the noise seemed to be coming closer as she excitedly gave her location. A message was left on the local police recording device to notify the provincial police in Bracebridge. While enroute to the fire station, Deputy Chief Roy Draper, overheard two men inform police constable Bob Elwell that, there had been a gas line explosion three miles north of town, opposite the drive in theatre. Upon arrival the only real hazard appeared to be the heavy traffic on highway No. 11 as the gas vapours were visible quite high into the air and approximately 100 ft. from the highway. The roaring noise was so loud at the point of traffic control our power megaphone was brought into use. While the traffic was kept moving one fire truck was dispatched to the south Doe Lake turn to re-route traffic, the other truck stayed at the north detour, while anxious eyes were cast to the heavy cloud that threatened rain hoping they would pass over and not hinder the fast dissipation of gas to the upper air. Two firefighters proceeded to old No.11 when Murray Middlebrook reported his home had caught fire and was burning around the electrical outlets when he left. A check showed no homes in the area on fire. Although many trees, two thirds of the distance up the break, had been burned. All traffic in this section was under control within minutes and cleared beyond 200 yds. of the break. Police were soon at the scene as they received their call at 11:45 p.m. according to news reports. Our blockade was short lived when some irresponsible, inebriated, cigarette smoking clown, driving a brown jeep came along and defied the firefighters instructions to keep clear, running the blockade three times by driving around the fire trucks on the shoulder of the road, stating that he was assisting the police, this surprisingly appeared to be so, not wishing to have the north posted truck which was nearest the break, go into orbit, we retreated to the south cut-off and returned the pumper to town and to the men who were left at the hall on stand by. The valves were turned off by 1 a.m. allowing the rest of us to return shortly after. Chief Roy Mathias
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