London fire officials say the cause of last week’s dramatic fire at a convenience store in the city’s east end will remain undetermined.
The blaze, which caused more than $500,000 in damage, broke out early last Thursday morning at 1004 Oxford St. near Quebec Street.
The two-storey building not only houses Simpson Variety but also three residential apartments.
“Due to the extent of the damage in the area of origin, it was impossible for us to come up with a concrete cause for the fire so our cause and determination will be undetermined for this fire,” Acting Deputy Fire Chief Jack Burt told Global News Radio 980 CFPL.
Burt also noted that smoke detectors within the building probably saved the lives of tenants living upstairs as the chirps woke them up and alerted them to the danger.
Heavy smoke pushed the tenants back into their unit and forced them to jump out a window to escape.
“We all just woke up and we feel the smoke and we weren’t able to breathe,” tenant Malav Rami told Global News Radio 980 CFPL last week at the scene.
“The entrance to our apartment (was) totally burning. We (couldn’t) see our hall area so we decided to go to the back and break the window and just jump from there.”
Two people, including a firefighter, were treated for minor injuries and transported to hospital by Middlesex-London paramedics.
The harrowing tale is an example of the importance of working smoke detectors, Burt said.
“I think people don’t realize how quickly a fire can occur in their home and how quickly it can spread,” he added. “Early detection is the key, and having a working smoke alarm is part of that detection.”
Burt continued: “The other big part part is having a home escape plan so you know two ways out of every room, two ways out of your house.”
The building at 1004 Oxford St. has been turned over to its owner now that the investigation is complete.
“They’re working with their insurance companies and contractors to try to get people back into the building as quickly as they can,” Burt said.
It’s unknown when people will be allowed back in given the extent of the damage.
—With files from Liny Lamberink