The fourth structure fire in less than a week has North Bay Fire and Emergency Services (NBFES) on notice.
At 5:30 am Friday morning, crews were called to 281 McIntyre Street East for reports of smoke coming from an abandoned building. No one was inside, but three small fires in the basement were extinguished.
This comes after firefighters responded to three blazes in less than an hour in the early morning on Wednesday.
Jason Whiteley, Chief of NBFES, says the McIntyre Street blaze is being deemed “suspicious” but won’t be classified as arson until an investigation is done. Regardless, it’s part of a worrying trend for fire crews.
“It’s been concerning for a while now with the homeless population growing, especially in the wintertime,” Whiteley said. “We’re getting more and more calls in different areas of people lighting fires to stay warm in the evening and in the bush. So there’s always a concern when people aren’t taking precautions and lighting fires.”
David Woolley, Corporate Communications Officer for the North Bay Police Service, says police will be investigating the McIntyre Street fire along with the three that occurred on Wednesday. He says it’s too soon to speculate whether the incidents are related.
