The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office will likely need until week’s end to determine the cause of a downtown Midland apartment fire.
Investigator Mike Ross and a team from the OFM were at the scene Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re in the preliminary stages still,” Ross said, noting that he and the investigative team will have to carefully sift through what they can find in the rubble to try to reach their conclusions.
“We’re still going through the process. It will take two or three days to investigate the material."
Two police cruisers were stationed at opposite ends of Borsa Lane throughout the day to ensure no one tried to go through the bright-orange barriers located on the west and east sides of the small walkway that connects King Street to a large rear parking lot.
Four Midland residents were displaced as a result of the late Tuesday evening blaze, which also affected several downtown businesses.
Zanca Restaurant had a sign on the door saying they would be closed Wednesday, but hoped to reopen Thursday while Creative Cuts, which is at the front of the building that caught fire noted they were closed for the day.
Midland Fire Chief Richard Renaud said his team was alerted to the structure fire at the residential over commercial building on King Street at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday following several 911 calls.
“On arrival, crews found a medium-size, two-storey building with a working fire in the second- floor apartment area,” Renaud told MidlandToday.
“All occupants self-evacuated prior to the fire department's arrival.”
Renaud said the fire was contained to the second floor.
“There is significant damage to the entire second floor along with water damage to the business on the first floor,” he said. “The building department will be contacted to assess the structural stability of the building.”
