60-year-old man charged in fire on Wharncliffe Road: London police

Police in London, Ont., say a 60-year-old man is facing charges following an apartment fire on Wharncliffe Road North on Tuesday.

Police say an officer observed smoke coming from the ground floor of a Wharncliffe apartment building around 5 p.m. The officer then contacted the London Fire Department, who arrived on the scene.

According to police, an investigation revealed the fire had been deliberately set.

While no one was injured, police say damages are expected to be around $100,000.

The 60-year-old London man, who was a resident of the apartment, has been charged with arson with disregard for human life and arson causing damage to property.

The first of the two charges can carry a life sentence if the accused is convicted.

The fire at the Wharncliffe apartment comes on the same day as another blaze on Limberlost Road, which police say caused $100,000 in damages.

An investigation into the Wharncliffe fire is ongoing with London police, the London Fire Department and the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshall looking into the incident.

Anyone with information that may help investigators is urged to contact London police at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).