Man charged with arson in Ark Aid Mission fire: police

London police have laid arson charges against a 45-year-old man in connection with a fire that damaged the rear of Ark Aid Mission’s Dundas Street building last week.

Emergency crews were called to the scene near Dundas and Lyle streets around 6:15 p.m. on May 17 and arrived to find a fast-moving and wind-driven exterior fire, according to a tweet from the fire department.

Firefighters got the blaze under control quickly, and saw injuries reported, the department said, adding that the incident caused roughly $50,000 worth of damage.

In an update Tuesday, police said a London man had been arrested in connection with the fire. The 45-year-old accused faces two counts of arson causing damage to property and one count of arson with disregard for human life.

Police initially said the accused had been charged with arson causing damage to own property, but later issued a correction.

The accused is scheduled to appear in court by video on Tuesday.

The fire damaged the rear of the mission’s building, along with a storage shed. The building has been undergoing renovations, which are scheduled to wrap up in March.

Though the main floor was unused at the time of the fire, two tenants had been living in a transitional apartment on the second floor, Ark’s executive director, Sarah Campbell, said in an interview last week. The tenants were not home at the time of the fire, she said.

The Ark Aid Mission of London is a non-profit organization working to help those struggling within the community by offering a variety of programs and services.

— with files from Amy Simon