THORNHILL FIREFIGHTERS didn't rush to put out a blaze on Kofoed Dr. yesterday while onlookers watched an old house burn.
The owner of the house wanted to get rid of it so he offered it up to the firefighters to use for training.
Thornhill fire chief Wes Patterson and four new firefighters used hoses at the front and back of the house to lessen the flames before stopping and letting the flames build up again.
The inside of the house had been cleaned out so they weren't going to practise going in after a fire to check things out, said Patterson, adding that they would spend a couple hours there.
They videotaped the session to watch for later.
The old building took a while to succumb to the flames, particularly the roof, which was wood rather than gyprock, and held up well, said Patterson.
Once the fire broke through the roof, the flames worked their way across it from one side to the other.
After a while on the hose, Kyle Howard and Brandon Trick took a break while Patterson replaced them so they could get out of their uniforms to cool off.