A historic building in London's downtown has been severely damaged by what police are calling a "suspicious" fire.
Firefighters were called to the two-storey building at 435 Ridout St., at Queens Avenue around 4:50 a.m. Monday after a passerby spotted thick smoke coming from inside.
"There was smoking coming out of the eaves upon our arrival and smoke coming out from some of the windows. It was an aggressive fire," said Deputy Fire Chief Jack Burt. "It was contained to the inside of the building. It didn't spread to any of the neighbouring buildings. Crews did an interior attack and were able to knock the fire down."
No one was inside the building at the time and there were no injuries. A damage estimate has not yet been determined.
"We are very early in our investigation. We are investigating in conjunction with the London Police Service and the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management," said Burt. "The cause of the fire is under investigation where we are trying to determine the origin, cause and circumstances of the fire."
Built in the 1830s, the building originally housed the Bank of Upper Canada. It is now home to several law offices.
London police had closed the intersection of Ridout Street and Queens Avenue while firefighters battled the blaze. It has since been re-opened. Fire officials expect to remain on scene for the rest of the day Monday.
