Dryer fire closes Little Falls Laundromat for upwards of two months

A dryer fire caused by oily rags has closed the Little Falls Laundromat owned by St. Marys Mayor Al Strathdee and his wife, Gloria Strathdee, for what could be as long as two months, fire officials say.

By Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local laundromat owned by St. Marys Mayor Al Strathdee and his wife, Gloria Strathdee, will remain closed for as long as two months following a dryer fire in the building on Oct. 16.

According to St. Marys Fire Chief Phil West, a customer at the Little Falls Car Wash – also owned by the Strathdees as part of Little Falls Car and Pet Wash and Laundromat – noticed smoke coming from the laundromat building shortly after 10 a.m. Oct. 16 and called 911. Prior to the arrival of firefighters, West said two people used fire extinguishers to prevent the fire from spreading faster.

“Due to the brave actions of local residents Mark Shen and Anthony Rooney, the fire was contained,” Al Strathdee wrote in a letter to the editor published in this edition of the St. Marys Independent. “The speedy response of the St. Marys Fire Department and their professionalism meant that the fire was able to be contained and isolated in the Laundromat unit. We are very grateful to the Stratford police, Mr. Shen and Mr. Rooney, and the volunteers of the St. Marys Fire Department. Thank you. We are lucky to live in such a great community where people care so much.”

“(The St. Marys Fire Department) would like to extend our thanks to the quick call and reaction of those involved,” West told the Independent. “If they did not call 911 right away, there would have been a lot more damage.”

Upon arrival, West said fire crews noticed smoke coming from the building. Firefighters promptly extinguished the fire, turned off gas and electrical services on the dryers affected by the fire, checked for fire extension, blew smoke out of building, and sampled the air quality to ensure it was safe to go back into the building.

According to both West and Al Strathdee, the cause of the fire was oily rags in one of the dryers. West said there was minimal damage to the building itself – just one piece of drywall – but two dryers will need to be replaced. There were no injuries associated with this fire.

“Thank you to Stratford police for traffic-control assistance and Perth County EMS for standing by in case they were required,” West said. “Our firefighters did a great job controlling the fire quickly and removing the risk of fire spreading.

“The St. Marys Fire Department is happy to report there were no injuries and would like to remind everyone that smoke alarms save lives. Please test your smoke alarms, check expiry dates and test if they are working properly. Replace your alarm when needed with a Canadian approved smoke alarm.”

There was no damage to either the car wash or pet wash, and both will continue operating as normal.