A London public housing building had to be evacuated after fire broke out on the eighth floor.
Firefighters were called to 241 Simcoe St. just after 10 a.m. on Tuesday after smoke was spotted coming from the 12 storey highrise. Crews arrived on scene in under four minutes and immediately began extinguishing the flames.
"Crews attacked the fire using an offensive strategy," said Platoon Chief Kirk Loveland. "We were able to bring the fire under control and did primary and secondary searches of the area and found no individuals inside and no one was injured because of the fire."
The blaze was contained to a single unit on the eighth floor, according to Loveland.
"There is substantial damage to that suite," said Loveland. "Smoke also permeated the entire eighth floor and the floor above. There is water damage from fighting the fire that may have come down into the lower suites."
A total damage estimate has not yet been determined.
Following an investigation, the blaze is now considered suspicious. Fire officials are currently working with London police as the investigation continues. An investigator from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office will also be attending the scene to investigate.
Smoke alarms within the building alerted tenants to the fire, allowing them to safely get out before firefighters arrived. Many of those displaced by the fire are expected to be allowed back inside their units by the end of the day Tuesday.
The public housing building, which is located just west of Wellington Street, is operated by the London and Middlesex Housing Corporation.
