London, Ont., man charged with arson in Salvation Army fire

London, Ont., police have arrested a man in relation to a fire early Thursday morning at the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope on Wellington Street near York Street.

Police announced Friday that a 28-year-old London man has been charged with arson causing damage to property. He has a court date in June.

Fire crews were called to the Centre of Hope around 6:20 a.m., Thursday morning after reports of heavy smoke coming from the third floor.

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Platoon Chief Colin Shewell told Global News that crews were able to contain the blaze quickly.

Fire officials had deemed the fire suspicious and members of London Police’s Street Crime Unit took over the investigation.

Smoke and water damage has been reported on the third floor, and officials say one staff member was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.

There’s no word on the cause of the fire, and a damage estimate hasn’t been released.