Update 9:15 a.m.: The fire marshal has been called in to investigate a suspicious early-morning fire at a vacant building at the corner of Regent and Lorne streets.
Firefighters were called to the scene at around 6:30 a.m. on June 2, at which point the building was fully “involved,” with flames coming out of both storeys, said Platoon Chief Terry Larocque.
Larocque said, at the moment, the fire service is looking at the blaze as suspicious.
"The fire started some place where it should not start, so we have determined that it is suspicious," Larocque said.
It took the 22 firefighters about an hour to put out the fire. When NorthernLife.ca visited the scene at around 8 a.m., the firefighters were packing up. Damage is estimated to be $200,000.
Parts of several streets were closed due to the fire, but Larocque said Lorne and Regent streets are now fully opened to traffic, although Haig Street is still closed.
The two-storey building belongs to John Topolinsky, who was on scene Tuesday morning, watching the firefighters put out the blaze.
He said the building — which is up for sale — belonged to his late father, and had been vacant since 2010.
It features an apartment where his father used to live, as well as commercial space, which at various times housed a restaurant and an auto body shop.
“It's been in pretty bad shape, needing a lot of repairs for a long time,” Topolinsky said. “That's why it was for sale.”
He said there was graffiti on the inside walls, meaning somebody broke in.
“Whether or not they caused the fire or it was from another source is unknown right now,” said Topolinsky.
The building owner said a friend who was on his way to work told him about the fire. When asked how he feels about the situation, Topolinsky said “certainly not good.”
Update 8:45 a.m.
Greater Sudbury Fire Service has told NorthernLife.ca that Regent and Lorne streets are re-opened after an early morning fire on at the intersection of those two roads today.
Haig Street remains closed at this time.
More to come on this story in a few minutes.
Original story
Due to a fire at the intersection of Lorne and Regent streets this morning, Greater Sudbury Police have blocked off Regent Street northbound at Lorne Street.
“Police are asking for assistance from the public in choosing an alternate route at this time,” said a press release from police sent out at 7 a.m.
Check back to NorthernLife.ca for more on this story.
