South Simcoe police and Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal are investigating after two unoccupied Bond Head homes have caught fire for the second time this year.
At around 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday, emergency crews were called to the scene of a blaze at the construction site on Rowe Street, which backs onto County Road 27 and is located in the west end of Bradford West Gwillimbury. These are the same two properties that were being probed by South Simcoe police following a similar incident in February.
Bradford Fire and Emergency Services deputy chief Steve Hall confirmed June 12 there is an active police investigation currently underway, which limited the amount of information he could provide.
However, he did say no one was injured.
“The two homes received significant fire and smoke damage, but they had not yet been occupied by the owners and yes they are the same two homes,” he said.
Police spokesperson Isabella Soligo echoed that.
"Once on scene, emergency crews discovered two unoccupied homes in a new subdivision were ablaze," she said in a media release. "The same two homes were involved in a fire a few months ago. The cause of the fire is under investigation."
This is the second significant overnight fire in the area in less than a week. Early Sunday morning, a garage fire caused extensive damage to a house on Cassells Drive, just north of Bond Head. In that case, the occupants of the home escaped safely due to working smoke detectors.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity, people or vehicles in the area of Wednesday's fire to call them at 705-436-2141 or 905-775-3311. Alternatively, they can provide tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.