More Suspicious Fires Break Out Overnight Downtown
Posted August 16, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A couple of suspicious blazes in the downtown area kept fire officials busy overnight. Emergency services got a call about a small fire on a second floor balcony on Carlton near Sherbourne around 3am Thursday.
“When the fire crews arrived the flames were very visible and the fire had actually broken into the interior at 204 Carlton,” explained Fire Chief Robert Head.
Residents were forced to evacuate the premises after being awakened by smoke detectors and the sound of glass breaking on the terrace. “I had just sat down to grab a quick bite to eat at the bar and saw flames flickering and when I looked outside they just virtually exploded at the top of the building,” said Av Atikian, owner of a nearby cafe. “The flames were shooting at least eight to nine feet above the rooftop,” remarked a witness.
Strangely enough, fire crews were called to the same area about half an hour earlier at Carlton and Ontario Streets, when a couple of garbage bins on the north and south side were ignited. The Fire Marshal and 51 Division are investigating whether there’s any connection between all three blazes.
