Damage is estimated at $2 million after fire tore through an industrial building at an east London business.
Firefighters were called to the fire at 172 Roberts Ave., south of Rectory and York streets around 5:15 a.m. on Friday. When crews arrived on scene, the main building was engulfed in flames. The fire was so severe, thick black smoke coming from the structure could be seen for several kilometres and the smell of the fire filled the air throughout the east end of the city.
“The initial building was a large steel repair garage structure. The fire managed to spread from it through radiant heat to the building next door, but crews were able to stop it from spreading to a third building,” said Platoon Chief David Hood.
At one point, there were as many as 30 firefighters and two aerial trucks on scene battling the blaze.
“It was a matter of setting up the vehicles initially and getting a water supply going. Once that happened the majority of the fire was put out fairly quickly,” said Hood.
By mid-morning, the firefighters that remained at the site were just dealing with hot spots.
No injuries were reported. However, fire officials still needed to sift through the rubble to ensure no one was inside the building when the fire broke out. Crews were unable to search it when they arrived on scene due to the intensity of the flames.
Fire inspectors and London police are expected to be on scene throughout the rest of the day probing the cause of the fire. The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified, but has not yet made a determination on whether they will join the investigation, Hood said.
Active Incident – 172 Roberts Ave. – Structure Fire. Crews were alerted to a commercial structure on fire. This is a defensive fire with Aerial apparatus being utilized. @CityofLdnOnt @lpsmediaoffice #ldnont pic.twitter.com/tYyGI7waNl
— London Fire Department (@LdnOntFire) December 2, 2022
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