A 69-year-old man is in critical condition after a fire tore through a Robertson Street house Sunday evening.
Fire crews and police responded to the fire around 9:30 p.m. Sunday; some residents were forced to climb out a second-storey window onto the roof of the back porch to exit the building.
Upon arrival, Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue entered the building and found the 69-year-old man inside a main floor apartment. He was taken to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and remains in the ICU.
Around 10 p.m. Sunday a 45-year-old man turned himself at the Balmoral Street police station.
Daniel Smith has been charged with arson endangering life and arson causing bodily harm. He appeared in court Monday morning and has been remanded until Dec. 28.
The court also ordered a 30-day medical assessment of the accused.
Det.-Sgt. Don Lewis said Smith is known to police. More charges are pending.
The fire appears to have started in the basement of the house. The first fire crew on scene reported seeing flames coming out of the front door and east side basement windows.
The other five residents of the house are staying in a hotel while the investigation by the Thunder Bay Police and Ontario Fire Marshall’s office continues.
