Man Charged With Arson Following Barrie Fire
Posted May 23, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Just days after downtown Barrie was rocked by its second major fire in nearly six months police announced they’ve arrested a suspected arsonist.
Flames erupted on Dunlop Street East around 11pm Tuesday and quickly spread to adjacent buildings, prompting dozens of frightened tenants to flee their homes and the evacuation of some 100 patrons and 19 staff at the historic Queen’s Hotel.
The stubborn blaze was sparked by an apparent explosion and it took crews several hours to get the flames under control. Firefighters finally extinguished the flames at 4:30am. The fire apparently started in the back of a building behind some ground floor apartments.
Barrie Police announced Friday they’d nabbed a 52-year-old suspect with the help of tips from the public. The accused firebug had recent burn marks on his hands, according to authorities.
Ronald Bird is charged with arson and is being held for a bail hearing.
This week’s blaze happened just three blocks away from the scene of another fire that forever changed the landscape of the city’s downtown core.
A massive fire ravaged Barrie’s five-points area, destroying the historic Wellington Hotel. Arson charges were also laid in that blaze.
