Smoke and flames shoot out from a three-storey building in downtown London early today as firemen struggle to contain the blaze. Fire and police inspectors were combing through debris today in an effort to determine the cause of the estimated $500,000 blaze.
Photo by Sam McLeod of The Free Press
Investigators continued today to probe through the ruins of a Dundas Street building in an effort to determine the cause of a $500,000 fire that destroyed or damaged four businesses Wednesday night.
The fire, which started about 9:50 p.m., destroyed the Classic Hobby Crafts Ltd., store on the ground floor at 263 Dundas and the How-To bookstore above it.
Also destroyed were the offices of Satellite Orbit communications at 261 ½ Dundas. The rear of the Bright’s Wine store at 261 Dundas was heavily damaged by flames and the rest of the store received extensive smoke and water damage.
Fire Chief Ray Morley said today that preliminary investigations had turned up no suspicion of arson. He said cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
Four firemen suffered smoke inhalation or minor cuts. All were released after hospital treatment.
Morley said rubble first had to be cleared away to enable investigators from the fire department and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office to pinpoint the source of the fire. “Until they look and see, we won’t know what the exact cause was.”
The chief said, however, that there is “some thought” that the blaze might have been caused by fluids used to clean the building. The blaze is believed to have started in the hobby shop.
The fire chief said the current estimate of damage reaching $500,000 was only a “guesstimate.”
“I would hesitate at this time to mention any figure because we don’t know content and we don’t know the value of the building. It’s very difficult to determine at this stage until insurance adjusters have been in.”
Dundas Street remained closed at the fire scene during the morning rush-hour period today while firemen mopped up and city work crews cleaned up broken glass and other debris from the street.
Barricades remained on the sidewalk around the burned-out building while investigators and insurance company representatives probed gingerly through the ruins and snapped pictures of the fire damage.
Rooftop view looking west shows extensive damage to the fire-gutted building, with parts of the roof caved in. Investigators on the scene today were checking into the possibility the fire may have originated with cleaning fluid. Photo by George Blumason of The Free Press
Blackened model kits were visible in the broken front windows of the hobby store. Scorched furniture remained neatly in place in the Satellite offices above the Bright’s store.
After surveying the damaged wine store this morning, Pat Enright of London, area supervisor for Bright’s Wines, said he feared the store was a writeoff. “It’s a real mess,” he said. “The back has completely caved in and there is two or three feet of water in the basement.”
Enright said the store’s entire inventory, including wine stored in a back storeroom and the basement, was lost. Fixtures at the front of the store were heavily damaged by smoke and water.
Witnesses saw the window explode and a ball of flame shoot out shortly after the blaze began. Thirty-five to 40 firemen responded immediately to the alarm and 10 extra men were brought in later. Two aerial trucks, five pumpers and two rescue vehicles were used to fight the blaze.
A portion of the second floor and roof can be seen in this interior view of Classic Hobby Crafts Ltd. the store, at 263 Dundas St., was destroyed in the fire. Also destroyed were a bookstore and the news offices of Satellite magazine.
Photo by George Blumson of The Free Press
Firemen fought the blaze from Dundas Street and the rear of the building. It took almost three hours to bring the flames under control.
By 12:30 a.m., some fire hoses were being reeled up and the number of spectators, which had reached more than 200 at times, had dwindled to about two dozen.
Witness Mary Oliver, a waitress in the Shorthorn restaurant on the north side of Dundas Street across from the burning building, said she noticed smoke coming out of the top of the building about 9:55 p.m. “Then . . . BOOM, the whole front window went out.”
She said a police officer had stopped a truck driver at the curb just before the fire erupted and the officer appeared to jump into his cruiser and radio for help as soon as the blaze was apparent.
(Article by Peter Geigen-Miller of The London Free Press)
