Dog killed, resident injured in two fires near downtown London

Article content

A dog was killed and a resident was injured in two fires near downtown London on Wednesday afternoon within blocks of each other.

The afternoon fires capped a busy day for London firefighters, who also responded at about 10:45 a.m. to a fire in an oven in a duplex on Belfield Street and London city hall, where smoke in an electrical room forced the building to close for the day.

Article content

“It actually is a little bit (unusual) to have that amount in one day,” district chief Jeff Johnston said.

He also referenced a fire Tuesday in a home on Nairn Avenue in northeast London that killed a person whose identity hasn’t been released and injured a second person.

Heavy smoke was coming from a two-storey brick building at 275 William St. when firefighters arrived just after 1 p.m., the London fire department said in a social media post.

Firefighters quickly knocked down the flames. No one was injured, the department said, but firefighters found a dog that had died and rescued a second dog.

The Red Cross was called to assist four residents of the building near Hamilton Road and Adelaide Street who were displaced, the fire department said.

Damage is estimated at $800,000. No cause was disclosed.

Firefighters responded just after 4:30 p.m. to a fire in a unit at the Tolpuddle Housing Co-op at 654 King St., about four blocks from the first fire.

One person was treated on scene by firefighters and paramedics before being taken to hospital, the fire department said. Police were also on scene as fire crews entered the building.

Article content

The fire was contained to the bedroom of one unit, Johnston said, but the cause has not yet been confirmed. 

“It appears to be a mattress fire, but we’re not sure,” he said. “It could be two points of origin, so that usually doesn’t happen with a cigarette.”

Damage is estimated at $200,000, the fire department said.

The complex’s community room was opened for tenants who had been displaced by the fire. Johnston said he suspected only tenants of the unit where the fire started would be displaced.

Share this article in your social network