Hotel evacuated near Pearson; Cambridge man charged with mischief

About 500 guests at a hotel near Pearson International Airport had to leave their rooms after an unwanted wake-up call early Sunday morning.

Toronto firefighters responded to a call for water damage and an electrical fire around 2 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in the Dixon Road and Carlingview Drive area.

Police said one of the guests, who had been drinking, tampered with a fire hose, which caused the sprinkler system to go off and sparked a small electrical fire in the maintenance room.

A 35-year-old Cambridge man has been charged with mischief.

No one was injured, but there was extensive damage done to three floors of the hotel and guests had to be bused out to other accommodations as the hotel is expected to be closed for the next several days.

Capt. Stephan Powell of Toronto Fire said some work needs to be done before things return to normal at the hotel.

“There’s some water damage to some tiles and some other areas, but the most important thing is that they reestablish the electricity,” he said. Without electrical power in the hotel, it becomes unsafe.”

Below is a photo posted on Instagram of the Holiday Inn check-in desk during the incident.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today