London fire officials and police are investigating a fire in Old East Village that sent two people to hospital.
Firefighters were called to the fire outside of the Ark Aid Mission at 706 Dundas Street around 3 a.m. on Wednesday.
“Upon arrival crews found a small outdoor fire on the sidewalk area and quickly extinguished it,” said Platoon Chief Colin Shewell. “There were a number of items that were there that are consistent with what an unhoused individual may be carrying around with them such as cardboard and a shopping cart.”
Two people were reportedly hurt in the fire. They were taken to hospital for treatment, however, the extent of their injuries is not known.
The sidewalk outside of Ark Aid remained cordoned off with yellow police tape as of 10 a.m. A green tarp, held down by several orange pylons, had been placed over the items that were burned. Two police cruisers were also guarding the scene.
Shewell said at this point it is unclear exactly what sparked the fire.
“We are going to work with London police throughout the day and hopefully our investigator can get to the cause and circumstances around this fire and why these injuries occurred,” said Shewell.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office has also been notified due to the injuries.
