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Disaster struck at Picton fairgrounds in June, 1948, when small boys playing there dropped a lighted match into a can of oil. The resulting damage to livestock exhibition buildings would total more than $70,000.
At the time of the fire the Royal Canadian School of Artillery was stationed at Camp Picton and firefighters from the base assisted Picton firemen in fighting the blaze. Two army firemen had to jump for their lives when trapped on the second floor of one of the buildings. The soldiers jumped 12 feet to the ground below, when a curtain of flames cut off their escape route from the building.