$1-million fire in Aylmer, 10 people displaced
At least 10 people are displaced after a century building in the heart of Aylmer was destroyed by fire Monday evening.
The blaze broke out shortly after 8:30 pm on Talbot Street.
The structure contained several upper-floor apartment units and main-floor businesses.
One business owner told CTV News his daughter was still cleaning inside his ground floor realty office when fire crews pulled up and went upstairs. She quickly fled.
Aylmer Fire Chief Todd McKone said his crews arrived to find heavy flame and smoke in the upper floor units. Smoke alarms were sounding.
“Crews cleared the facility and we had a good idea no one was inside. It was extremely hot and smoky. It was not a safe condition to do firefighting in. So, we transitioned to a defensive attack at that time,” said McKone.
As tenants were taken to area hotels, some neighbouring business owners watched the battle against the flames.
A backhoe had to be brought in after the roof collapsed during a fire in Aylmer, Ont. on March 21, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)While some spots were knocked down quickly, others proved harder to fight.
“The flames were out for the most part, except for one particular corner. It just wouldn’t go out,” said a cafe owner who watched from her business across the street.
McKone said 50 firefighters from Aylmer, Malahide, Central Elgin and later St. Thomas, helped to bring the fire under control.
The early damage estimate is set at $1-million but could climb higher.
During the fire, the roof collapsed into the structure. That forced firefighters to bring in heavy equipment at daybreak.
Throughout the morning, it tore away at the roof to access hotspots.
Investigators will comb the site when safe, but a suspected cause has already been determined.
Damage is extensive after a fire in Aylmer on March 20, 2023. (Source: Aylmer police)“It’s not suspicious. It is centered around cooking activities that took place earlier in the day,” McKone said.
At least two neighbouring buildings, including a bank, have smoke and water damage.
According to McKone, an engineer will need to inspect them before they can reopen.
Other businesses along Talbot Street between John Street and Queen Street are not expected to open until the afternoon.
Traffic in the area has been rerouted.
Back at the scene, Paul Driver expressed sorrow at the sight of the blaze.
Just three months ago, he moved his business out of the building.
Fire crews tackle a massive blaze on Talbot Street in Aylmer on the evening of March 20, 2023. (Source: Aylmer Police Service/Facebook) “We got to know some of the tenants that lived above us and the other businesses, tough to see,” said Driver.
And like many here, he said he is saddened to know the streetscape will soon have a hole in its heart.
“Downtowns are really important. I hate to see any of the old buildings go,” Driver expressed with sadness.
The cafe owner shared the same thoughts for the future.
“All the improvement and new businesses coming and to have this happen, just wow!” she shared.
—Video source: Jarrett Medeiros and Cody Colfax
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.