Tenants wake up to ‘horrific’ fire outside city apartment on Tuesday
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A resident of a building on Picton Street said he woke up to a “horrific” scene Monday night after a fire broke out outside a 17-story apartment building near Queens Avenue in London, Ont.
London fire officials said the fire started in recycling bins and spread to a shelter and two parked cars, causing an estimated $160,000 in damage.
A man was arrested hours after the incident and police said the investigation was ongoing.
“It’s pretty disturbing,” said Joe Francis, who lives on the first floor of 22 Picton St.
She opened her curtains after seeing a “massive fireball” when the smoke alarm woke her up and the smell of smoke permeated her apartment.
“I called 911 right away and they were here pretty quickly, but by then the fire was pretty much out of control. And looking at the wreckage now, it’s outside my window, everything destroyed. Has been, including a couple of cars. This,” he said.
Francis said he is concerned for his neighbors who live in the building, many who are elderly. He said it was the second fire the building’s recycling structure had seen in two years, but this one was more severe.
London Fire said they responded to a recycling bin, shelter and two cars on fire at 22 Picton St around 3am.
One car was destroyed and the other was heavily damaged, investigators said.
No one was injured in the fire and residents of the apartment building did not have to evacuate.
