Clarington’s fire chief says his department has been inundated with recent calls for a fire at an area greenhouse but the “blaze” onlookers report is, in fact, a startling glow from lights and steam inside the greenhouse.

Gord Weir says more than a dozen people within the last few weeks have called in at night to say there is a fire at Rekker’s Garden Centre in Bowmanville, Ont., but the bright light people see is no cause for alarm.

Rekker Gardens Inc. owner Gerard Prins says people passing by the greenhouse at Highway 2 and Maple Grove Road are seeing high-intensity “grow lights” that help his plants flourish during shorter, winter days. This, combined with the steam from the boiler room, looks like a fire.

“It’s a bit of a concern because of all of the false alarms,” he said.

Chief Weir is urging people in the area to think twice before calling in to report a fire at the garden centre.

“We’re using a lot of resources on something that isn’t a fire,” he said. “We send out our crews … and of all of the calls [to the greenhouse], there has been no fire.”

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