Fire crews tackle blaze at encampment

London fire crews attended the scene of a fire at a homeless encampment in the area of Adelaide Street South and Royce Court on Nov. 29, 2023. (Source: London Fire Department/X)

The London Fire Department received multiple calls regarding a large fire at an encampment Wednesday.

The incident happened in the area of Adelaide Street South and Royce Court.

According to District Chief Jeff Brewster, the call for the fire was received at approximately 5:15 p.m., with fire crews coming across heavy smoke and flames upon arrival. It took 30 minutes to get the blaze under control.

One person from the encampment said another person was missing, however primary and secondary searches of the area turned up nothing. 

No injuries were reported.

Brewster said there were reports of explosions in the area, which were later deemed to be aerosol containers. Firefighters aso discovered a large number of propane cylinders in the area, however it doesn’t appear they were breached. 

Access to the fire scene was also difficult due to its location, and it required fire crews to hop over a fence.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

This is the third homeless encampment fire in as many days, with a woman living in a tent in east London suffering serious burns late Monday night, while a small homeless encampment in the city's west end caught fire on Monday morning.

— With files from CTV News London's Sean Irvine