London police say the fire that destroyed a popular cafe in Wortley Village is being treated as “suspicious in nature.”
Firefighters were called to the Black Walnut Bakery and Café at the corner of Wortley Road and Craig Street around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. Platoon Chief Kirk Loveland from the London Fire Department said firefighters were forced out of the building and had to fight the blaze from the outside after part of the attic caved in.
Loveland confirmed that nobody was inside the building at the time of the incident and that no injuries were reported. Damage is pegged at $2-million.
Loveland said fire investigators are at the scene, but their work was on hold as the building was too dangerous to enter.
While speaking with LondonNewsToday.ca Sunday, the platoon chief called the incident “a total loss,” stating damages to the structure are irreparable.
Rubble remains at the location where Black Walnut Bakery and Cafe once stood at 134 Wortley Road, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Craig Needles, Blackburn Media)
“We’re knocking it down, the building. It is very difficult conditions to extinguish all of the fire,” Loveland said. “The only way we can get at it is to take the building down, dismantle it, haul it away, and hit all the hot spots as we continue to do that.”
Heavy equipment was brought in late Sunday afternoon to demolish the two-storey building. The smoldering rubble that remained was fenced off.
Black Walnut Bakery and Café took to social media to vow the location would be rebuilt.
“It is our intention to rebuild, better than ever, as fast as we can,” the café owners stated in an Instagram story.
In the same post, the business hinted that the fire started somewhere outside of the building before spreading to the inside. Black Walnut asked anyone with tips or information about the incident to either contact them directly, or leave a tip with authorities.
-With files by Rebecca Chouinard
Incident Update 2
Crews continue to overhaul this stubborn fire to try and extinguish hidden fires. No injuries reported, and please avoid the area of Craig St. and Wortley Road.
Inspectors on scene to assist with the investigation. pic.twitter.com/BMkM3vX5qW— London Fire Department (@LdnOntFire) April 16, 2023
