London firefighters battle fire that destroyed vacant building

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A late-night fire destroyed a vacant building in London, but firefighters protected a nearby home from damage.

Fire crews were called shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday to 129 Base Line Rd., west of Wharncliffe Road, where they found an active fire in a vacant building, platoon chief Kirk Loveland said.

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“Upon arrival, the garage was fully involved, so the crews were able to contain the fire to the garage and stop it from extending into the house next door,” he said Friday. “We did (a search of the building) and there were no occupants inside.”

The fire sent flames and smoke billowing high into the night sky, prompting a flurry of 911 calls and videos posted on social media.

Twenty-four firefighters worked to douse the blaze that’s considered suspicious because the building is vacant, Loveland said.

“It’s a total loss,” he said of the damage.

Police probe two-vehicle crash

Multiple people were taken to hospital after a two-vehicle crash in the Township of Zorra on Friday morning, the Ontario Provincial Police said.

According to a social media post from the OPP’s Oxford County detachment at about 10:30 a.m., an unspecified number of people with unknown injuries were transported to hospital after the collision. 

The crash happened at the intersection of 37th Line and Road 74. A pair of rural roads were closed in the aftermath until further notice, police said.

The township of Zorra has a population of 9,000 and is located in rural Oxford County. It includes the communities of Embro and Kintore. The investigation was ongoing, police said.

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