A late night fire has seriously damaged the inside of two businesses at 484 Dundas Street and temporarily forced the evacuation of nearby tenants.
Woodstock police and fire crews along with Oxford EMS were called to the scene around 11:35 p.m. on Thursday.
Upon arrival, emergency crews found smoke and fire inside Once Again Upscale Retail and Let's Eat Cake.
Lisa Woods with the Woodstock Fire Department says "Once we got inside we were able to determine that the fire was at the back. Firefighters were able to get that fire under control in a short amount of time."
The fire is believed to have originated in a storage room at the back of the Let's Eat Cake building that housed items belonging to a local theatre group.
Laurie Markham of Theatre Woodstock says "Some of the stuff...is not replaceable. It's a lot of antique things are in there. Set pieces, that sort of thing. Things like risers and flats, those things can be rebuilt. It'll take time and money but we'll be able to rebuild those."
One firefighter suffered minor injuries but did not require treatment.
Apartments in the immediate area were evacuated, but the approximately 20 residents were allowed to return to their apartments around 1:45 a.m.
Officials say the interior of the two businesses suffered significant smoke damage, but the fire didn't spread to other nearby businesses or apartments.
The Woodstock Fire Department remained on scene along with fire investigators on Friday as they tried to determine the source of the fire.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time, but it is not believed to be suspicious.
Damage is estimated at $75,000.
