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Home explosion, fire probed as suspicious
Joe Belanger; London Free Press; 2008/03/26

Investigators continue to probe a “suspicious” explosion and fire at a southeast London home early yesterday.

The explosion caused an estimated $70,000 damage to the house at 50 Jacqueline St., off Thompson Road just east of Adelaide Street.

No one was injured. The house was vacant and under renovation, fire officials said.

A firefighter suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze.

Police were also on the scene yesterday.

“We’re treating it as suspicious and we’re holding the scene for the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office,” Const. Amy Phillipo said yesterday.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 11:52 p.m. Monday by passersby. When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from the rear roof and windows.

It was quickly brought under control and a search by firefighters revealed no one was in the house.

“As there was no hydro in the area of the fire and no obvious cause for the fire, the fire was thought to be of suspicious origins,” Platoon Chief Syd Gatenby wrote in a report.

A fire marshal’s investigator could not be reached for comment yesterday.