A fire at an empty house near downtown Windsor resulted in about $300,000 worth of damage, with no injuries reported. The blaze occurred on Monday morning at a two-story residential property situated at the intersection of Mercer Street and Wyandotte Street East.
Authorities called in investigators to determine the cause of the fire; however, access to the building was restricted due to its unstable and collapsing condition, as mentioned in a post by John Smith, Chief Fire Prevention Officer at Windsor Fire and Rescue Services. Smith noted that the house was deemed unsafe for investigation but was regarded as suspicious.
The unoccupied building had no gas or electricity connections, and nearby residents were advised to stay indoors due to smoke in the area, according to a social media announcement by emergency services. As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, Wyandotte Street East was temporarily closed in both directions between Glengarry Avenue and McDougall Street, as well as in the vicinity of Mercer Street.