Two fires just south of downtown London caused thousands of dollars in damages Sunday morning, one deemed an accident while the other is considered suspicious.
In a series of public updates beginning at 7 a.m., officials with the London Fire Department described that crews were on scene at a home on 101 Adelaide St. S. for a a structure fire. The fire department says that five occupants of the house “narrowly escaped” thanks to a passerby who noticed the fire, in addition to working smoke alarms.
By 7:40 a.m., the fire was extinguished and the investigation was complete, officials with fire department said, with the cause deemed accidental and the damage estimated at $8,000.
Just 16 minutes later, fire officials said that firefighters were fighting a blaze at a home at the 500-block of South Street, in the city’s SoHo neighbourhood, and that the fire inspector had been requested to examine the scene.
By 8:20 a.m. the fire had been brought under control, and in a final update at 9:18 a.m., the fire department said that crews were clear and that both police and fire investigators were remaining at the scene to determine the cause.
The combination of the fire being on the outside of the building – and the home being abandoned with no electricity – means investigators are treating the fire as suspicious.
There was no estimate provided for the damage caused.