London firefighters respond to downtown blaze
Rebecca Chouinard London Free Press
Investigators remain on the scene of a residential fire at the intersection of Dufferin Avenue and Waterloo Street in downtown London.
Crews were called to the residence shortly after 9 a.m. on Thursday. Drivers were initially asked to avoid the area, but shortly afterwards, London police announced that the area Dufferin Avenue and Waterloo Street would be closed to traffic until further notice.
The intersection has since reopened, according to Incident Commander – District Chief Jamie Britton from the London Fire Department.
It has been confirmed that the blaze broke out in the building’s attic area, but investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire. Britton says they will remain on scene for the next few hours.
The residence was under renovation at the time of the fire, so luckily nobody has been displaced. One person was inside the building when crews arrived at the scene, but the individual was safely evacuated.
While no civilians were hurt as a result of the fire, Britton shared that one firefighter suffered a minor hand injury while responding to the incident.
The damages are currently estimated at $400,000 and could have been a lot worse, Britton says, if not for the firefighters’ efficient response to the “deep-seated” blaze.