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20 people forced out of Dundas Street motel in London after roof fire
CBC News
The London Fire Department used an elevated platform to extinguish a fire on the roof of the Knights Inn in the city's east end early Thursday morning. (Kate Dubinski/CBC)
Twenty people are looking for a place to stay after crews put out an extensive fire at a motel in London, Ont., early Thursday morning.
The London Fire Department was called to the Knights Inn at the corner of Dundas and Calgary streets at around 4:42 a.m. ET where nearby residents had seen heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building.
It took about 30 firefighters to extinguish the fire using elevated platforms to access the roof, which Chief Brent Shea said has been heavily damaged.
“Our investigators are en route right now to do an investigation,” said Shea. “Dundas Street is still blocked between Manitoba and Calgary and Third Street, and we’re asking motorists to avoid the area because the roads will be closed for a little while yet.”
The street was reopened shortly after 8:30 a.m.
A public transit bus was on the scene to provide temporary shelter for the motel residents as they figure out temporary housing arrangements.
Hotel owner Dino Patel, who has run the Knights Inn for 15 years, said he was woken up by smoke alarms.
“There was big fat was smoke and police, and we cannot breathe too much,” Patel said.
The hotel was approximately half full overnight, and Patel believed the area where the fire appeared to have started was unoccupied.
UPDATE: Fire is extinguished and crews working on hotspots. Fire Investigators are attending.
— London Fire Department (@LdnOntFire) March 27, 2025
