THUNDER BAY – Friday’s Starlite Flooring fire is being investigated as a possible arson.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue fire inspector Kevin Anderson said investigators have learned the fire likely began in a trash can on the second floor.
Two occupants of the residential area above the flooring store attempted to put out the fire, but were unsuccessful and it quickly spread into the walls and then into the attic.
Ongoing construction on the upper floor of the building, which had a residential component, aided in the rapid spread of the fire, which filled much of the north-side of Thunder Bay with thick, heavy smoke for much of Friday evening.
“Through interviews with people on site it appears they were attempting to put out a fire in the bathroom before we arrived. Through further interviews it looks like it was a possible arson, because it a garbage can in the bathroom, a common bathroom for the second floor occupants,” Anderson said.
“So now it’s been passed on to police for them to do further interviews and determine what they can find out.”
Anderson said it would be up to police to lay any charges, should they be warranted. He added he went through the burned out building on Saturday with police to document the area of the fire’s origin.
“At the same time, criminal investigations were also doing interviews, so it was left for them to follow up,” Anderson said.
The building’s age, combined with the tar on the roof, made it a tough fire to get under control. Firefighters were still on scene on Saturday morning.
There’s not much more than a shell of a building left, Anderson said.
“The roof, which is above the second floor, is mostly collapsed. The whole roof structure is pretty much gone and obviously the south side as well. And then of course, there’s water damage throughout the building. I’m no engineer, but I would think that it would not be repairable,” Anderson said.
“That’s for the experts to determine.”
Anderson said once the fire got into the four-foot attic, it became even tougher to battle. The blowing wind was also an obstacle, driving the fire to the south end of the building.
“It just was puffing out of every vent and with a tar roof, it was a little harder to get at. When we arrived, the fire was really in there,” Anderson said. “The platoon chief called everybody out of the building once we knew nobody was in there and it was more of a defensive attack after that.”
No one was hurt in the fire.
