A devastating fire Saturday morning destroyed a Trowbridge Street home.

The Meaford Fire Department battled the blaze throughout the day Saturday. A beautiful brick home at the corner of Trowbridge and Thompson streets was completely destroyed by the fire.

The home was not occupied at the time. The owners have been renovating the house for several months and were almost ready to move in when disaster struck Saturday morning.

The fire drew the entire Meaford Fire Department to the scene. Both pumper trucks and the ladder truck were required to fight the fire.

Battling the blaze was complicated by the steel roof on the house. Firefighters at the scene told The Express that the steel roof was radiating heat that became unbearable for firefighters trying scale ladders to get at the flames.

Later in the morning, the fire department called in a large high backhoe to rip the steel roof down in order to get at the flames. Firefighters surrounded the home from all angles to take on the intense blaze. Water poured out of the home's front door and down its deck and steps like a mini river.

Smoke from the fire could be seen all over town. The home is located just a short walk from the downtown core. A large crowd of onlookers were drawn to the fire. OPP cruisers blocked off vehicular access to the streets around the blaze.

Firefighters were on the scene most of the day and were called back to the fire Saturday evening after it flared up. The fire department was called to the blaze Saturday morning just moments after attending an accident on Highway 26 that required the extrication of a driver injured in the accident.