A fire tore through two commercial buildings and a future apartment building on St. Thomas’ main street early Sunday morning. Firefighters responded to the blaze at 616 Talbot St. around 4 a.m. after flames erupted on the upper floors of the building.
The fire quickly filled the downtown area with smoke, and firefighters worked from Talbot Street, using an aerial ladder truck to douse the flames. Crews conducted a primary search and confirmed that no one was inside. “Fortunately, nobody’s injured, no deaths,” said Matt Rumas, a fire prevention officer with St. Thomas Fire Department.
As the fire raged, flames shot through the roof, and shortly afterward, the front of the building collapsed onto Talbot Street. The building owner, Brenndan Stevenson, was notified before 5 a.m. and rushed from Toronto, but by the time he arrived, the building was already destroyed. Stevenson had purchased the property in November and had been in the process of converting the upstairs into six residential units. The commercial spaces had been fully renovated and leased out, and the residential units were nearly completed.
St. Thomas police have since labeled the fire an arson, as Stevenson had recently experienced break-ins and thefts at the property. Despite the extensive damage, the fire was contained to the affected buildings, and the adjacent Indwell Apartments, which houses 15 tenants, were spared. “We’re just really thrilled that everyone’s safe and everyone’s okay,” said Justin Dewaard, regional director for Indwell.
The fire did not spread to the bus depot next to the buildings, thanks to a firewall that effectively protected the structures. Rumas praised the response efforts, noting that no smoke or water damage affected Indwell or the bus depot.
Around 25 firefighters worked through the morning to battle hot spots, while Talbot Street was closed between Ross Street and Princess Avenue. The street remained shut down as of 11:30 a.m. for the ongoing investigation.
Fire Chief Dave Gregory explained that the fire had deeply penetrated the building, making it difficult to access. Cleanup operations had begun with heavy equipment to safely remove the debris and extinguish any remaining hotspots.
Despite the frustration, Stevenson expressed relief that he had insurance to cover the loss. “You never like to get those calls, but sometimes it happens and you’re just lucky you have insurance,” he said.