London Police are investigating an overnight fire in Wortley Village as suspicious.
Emergency responders were called to the northeast corner of Wortley Road and Bruce Street at around 12:45 a.m. Thursday morning.
Fire had already pushed through the roof of the historic,1880's-era building by the time they arrived.
"I heard this crack crack-crack-crack, pop-pop-pop," said Elizabeth Iles.
Iles was sleeping in her upper-level condo, which faces the impacted building. She thought maybe she was hearing fireworks but when the noise didn't stop, she sat up, "My bedroom's all windows, and I opened my eyes and it was like orange and gold. All the sky."
Soon fire crews arrived using aerial trucks and climbing across neighbouring roof tops to attack the fire. "Risking themselves with personal injury,” said Olaf Plotzke. He added, “When you see how they work to try and expose the fire so water can get at it. And I’m grateful that they're there."
Two people who rent apartments in the building escaped without injury and are being helped by the Red Cross. The three businesses on the ground floor will need to wait for a report from structural engineers to find out when or if they can return.
The fire at Wortley and Bruce comes just days after work got underway to rebuild the Black Walnut Bakery Cafe.
A fire, later identified as arson, destroyed the Black Walnut building in April of last year. That building was also a heritage structure.
Plotzke said that the thought of losing another building tied to the community's history is disappointing for those who live in the neighbourhood, "It's upsetting because, again, it's a classic building and it's part of our community here. And just to see these things get destroyed, much like the Black Walnut a year-or-so ago, it's disheartening."
"Wortley Village is a real community,” Iles told CTV News. “Old South [neighbourhood] is a real community. People cherish this place. It's warm, you know, and, to see them go, it's sad."
The neighbouring Westland Gallery abuts the affected building on the north edge. The art gallery had to close for the day due to water in the basement affecting the furnace, but they anticipate re-opening on Friday. Fire officials estimate total damages in excess of two million dollars.