Cause under investigation after fire rips through vacant south London building
London firefighters are investigating the cause of a massive blaze in a vacant factory building at 10 Centre St., just off of Wharncliffe Road South.
It was eventually brought under control late Tuesday night.
The smoke was so thick and heavy that the city sent has sent out a warning to anyone within one kilometre of the site to keep their doors and windows shut.
“You’ll notice that the smoke is yellow, brown, black, all different colours, so there’s a lot of different things that are burning inside the building,” said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. “That kind of smoke produces heavy levels of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, cyanide, things that people should not be breathing in. So we’ve asked people to protect in place, shut off their hvac systems, close their windows, and stay indoors.”
Crews were called to the fire just over the supper hour Tuesday. It roared through the evening with crews working in shifts to knock it down.
“We’re in a defensive strategy fighting the fire from the exterior,” said Mosburger. “The fire itself, it’s just way too dangerous to send firefighters in the interior to a building that we already are aware of that was vacant.”
No one was injured.
Neighbour Warren Martin tells CTV News London individuals are often spotted coming in and out of the building. “Abandoned building and usually there’s a lot of homeless people that live in there. Old mattresses and stuff dragged in and all that.”
The vacant building has been on the city’s radar for some time. Earlier this year it appeared on a list of sites recommended for demolition by city staff.
“Well sometimes you think a lot of these things should be torn down and not just left if it’s a fire trap,” said neigbour Dave Robinson as he watched firefighers work to keep the fire under control.
It had originally been home to Hubson Transport in the 70s but more recently housed a moving company, karate school and renovation company.
The shell of the building was torn down Wednesday, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
- With files from CTV News London's Nick Paparella
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.