Historic Chester Playhouse building burns

Chester residents watched in consternation on Friday as flames engulfed the Chester Playhouse.

Lynda Flinn, owner of the Kiwi Cafe across the street from the historic building at 22 Pleasant St., described the devastation.

“The whole top floor is engulfed in flames,” Flinn said over the phone at about 4 p.m.on Friday.

“There's all kinds of smoke blowing. Windows are popping out. There's a lot of people here — there's a lot of fire departments here now, so, yeah, it's big and bad.”

Flinn said there was some talk of a building behind the playhouse also being involved but she could not tell from where she was.

She described the emotions at seeing the local landmark ablaze as “heart-wrenching.”

According to the playhouse website, the building served as a film theatre starting in 1938 as the Kenerick. The Chester Jesters began annual summer theatre productions in 1963 and The Leading Wind Theatre did puppet shows starting in 1975. After a lull, the Chester Theatre Council's first summer festival came in 1987.

A major renovation project with the help of more than $800,000 from municipal, provincial and federal governments was under way at the time of the fire.

The project was replacing flooring and seats as well as adding a lift and other improvements for those with mobility challenges and audio systems to help people with hearing aids. Seating areas and washrooms were being reconfigured and there were upgrades to sound and lighting systems for performances. Major structural work was also part of the renos.

“This is a big renovation that was just about finished, well under way to being finished,” Linn said. “It's going to be devastating.”

She said there was no speculation in the community about the cause of the fire that she knew of.

A person who answered the phone at the Chester Volunteer Fire Department office said at least seven other departments were helping out but he could offer no other information at that time.

Flinn said they were working hard at the scene.

“They are busy, yes. I think we've got quite a few ... I think Chester Basin's here, there's another couple of other fire departments, too, I think. They're working really hard out there.”

She estimated the blaze might have started about 3 or 3:30 p.m.

The playhouse staff announced on social media that there were no injuries.

“Everybody got out of the building, which is good,” Flinn said. “All those contractors and stuff — they all got out safely. But what a heartwrenching thing. I mean, this is the heart of the community, the theatre.

“We've still got flames leaping out of the building right now.”