Fire investigators from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) are looking at a pair of fires at opposite ends of London within hours of each other.
A massive blaze destroyed a home at 365 Foyston Road in the Byron area around 1 am with London fire crews needing a couple hours to extinguish the fire which neighbors say was shooting out both sides of the home, as well as the roof.
“There’s quite a significant amount of fire spread throughout the house, and it’s compromised the structural integrity of it,” says Mike Ross, an investigator with the OFM.
With London police officers guarding the scene, detectives would not say they believe it to be suspicious, only telling CTV News it is still under investigation.
Neighbors who wished not to be identified were concerned about the occupant of the home, a single man in his 40s named Ken.
Late Saturday morning, Ken’s father came by the house and said he spoke to his son who is currently in hospital.
Investigators are having difficulty due to the severe damage to the interior of the home.
“We’re essentially going to try to figure out a way to shore up the wall and part of the floor so we can actually walk across it,” says Ross.
London police, London Fire and a provincial fire investigator examine 365 Foyston Rd. in London, Ont. after an early morning fire gutted the house Saturday Apr. 30, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV London)
“One part of the floor in the center has been compromised, and you can’t walk two or three feet in through the main entrance because you fall right to the floor”.
It’s one of two fires being looked at by OFM investigators Saturday.
An accidental fire Friday afternoon at 392 Briar Court in the Northeast end of London caused nearly $650,000 damage and injured a London Firefighter.
“We’re here because a responding Firefighter, a Captain, had a medical episode while suppressing the fire,” says Michael Bird, an OFM Investigator.
“He had to be transported to hospital. He has spent the night in hospital and has been released in good health. Injury is our mandate to respond to any injury or fatal fire, and also a large loss.”
Back on Foyston Rd. the investigation continues, but Ross can’t confirm an origin or cause yet.
“We’re working based on evidence not an assumption, but nothing has been confirmed or nothing has been refuted,” says Ross.
“We’re just basically following the objective process that we follow and whatever comes out at the end will be made on the evidentiary.”