A fire at an east London townhouse that caused $1 million in damages is believed to have been intentionally set.
London police deemed the fire at the complex on Bonaventure and Admiral drives suspicious on Monday.
The blaze broke out in unit 19 around 5:50 a.m. on Saturday. Flames could be seen shooting from the townhouse's windows. They became so intense firefighters were unable to go inside and instead had to attack the fire from the outside. The couple who reside there have not been seen since the fire began.
Residents in adjoining units, including a pregnant single mother and her 13-year-old daughter, were able to escape as smoke filled their homes. No injuries were reported.
A GoFundMe was quickly setup for the mother and daughter as they are said to have lost all of their possessions due to smoke and water damage. In just one day, the online fundraising campaign had raised more than $24,000 for the family.
The Ontario Fire Marshal has sent two investigators to the scene to assist the London Fire Department and London police with the investigation into the cause.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call police at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
