Several charges have been handed out after a fatal fire at a London apartment building in November.
The London Fire Department says there are a total of 11 charges against the owner, nine charges against the director and six charges against the operator, based on an inspection carried out prior to the fire and an inspection initiated immediately after the fire.
One man died in the blaze on Nov.3 at 1451 Oxford St. E.
The charges have been filed with the Ontario Court of Justice and served to the parties named in the charges. The fire department says the charges, in part, deal with failure to maintain smoke alarms, fire separation door closures and emergency lighting.
“The London Fire Department and the City of London regard these charges as very serious,” said Deputy Fire Chief Gary Bridge, in a news release. “We continue to identify similar properties and will act to prevent further tragedies, such as we saw at 1451 Oxford St. E.”
After the fire, the London Fire Department issued an “Order to Close” at 1451 Oxford St. E. on Nov. 5, until a number of fire code violations were remedied. It still remains under the order.
Charges have also been laid against the same operator in connection with properties at 585 and 589 Clarke Rd. The operator faces five additional fire code charges. The owner of the Clarke Road properties faces five fire code charges.
Zoning By-law charges have been laid by Municipal Law Enforcement Services against the owner and operator for non-compliance with group home zoning regulations.
Penalties for convictions can extend to a fine of not more than $50,000 for individuals and up to a year in jail. For corporations, fines can extend to $100,000. For a director or officer of a corporation, fines can extend to $50,000 and up to one year in jail.
