The Stratford Police Department says the Beer Store on Huron Street is closed and the city’s building department has placed an “unsafe” order on it following an overnight fire.
The fire also caused an evacuation at the neighbouring Tim Hortons at around midnight Monday but its operations have resumed as normal.
Stratford’s police and fire departments are jointly investigating. In an update Tuesday, police said “the fire is now being deemed as suspicious.”
According to police, an alarm went off at the store at 429 Huron St. shortly after midnight and “moments later” emergency services learned the building was on fire.
When police and firefighters arrived, the building was “full of smoke” and flames could be seen inside, police said.
The neighbouring Tim Hortons was evacuated and a section of the road was closed as firefighters doused the flames.
As of 1 p.m., a police spokesperson confirmed that fire crews are no longer at the scene and the roadway has reopened to traffic, though the Beer Store itself remains closed.