London, Ont. man charged in fire at boarded-up Hamilton Road home

London, Ont., police say a 61-year-old man is facing an arson charge in connection with a fire at a boarded-up home in the city’s east end.

Emergency crews were called to the building at 254 Hamilton Rd., near Little Grey Street, just after 11:30 a.m. Monday. Nearly three dozen firefighters were needed to battle the stubborn blaze.

“It was a three-storey, boarded-up vacant building, but there were reports that there were possibly people inside,” London fire department platoon chief Dave Hood told Global News.

Police were in contact with one person who said he was inside the structure, Hood said. “He was not injured.”

Hood said crews searched the home but no one else was found.

“At that point, it was determined that, due to the age of the structure and the condition of it, we should fight it as a defensive fire, which means that we pull our crews out and fight it from the outside just to prevent any kind of injuries.”

He said 34 fire department members were needed to douse the flames.

Tuesday morning, London police reported that a suspect had been arrested at the scene and charged with one count of arson causing damage to property. Damage is estimated at $20,000.

— with files from Global News’ Natalie Lovie