Confirmed Arson

According to the Peterborough Examiner today:

Arson causes evacuation

Don Peat

Monday, June 05, 2006 - 09:00

Local News - About 27 residents were evacuated by city bus to the Kinsmen Arena early Saturday morning after fire erupted in a Talwood Drive apartment building.

City fire department Platoon Chief Lloyd Hutchinson said the arson caused damage of up to $50,000 and about five people were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

At 3:30 a.m. the building's fire alarm was set off when a fire began in the north side entranceway where the building's recycling bins were kept, says building superintendent Ron Bourne.

"It started in the middle of the room, expanded both ways, blew out the glass door and with the oxygen coming in it just expanded," Bourne said pointing to the melted remains of a large bin.

Tenants living on the ground floor escaped through their patios.

Damage was confined to the main floor but smoke travelled throughout the building, said acting platoon chief Ron Sparks

Around 7 a.m., residents were allowed back in the building.

Building resident Jaime Sawdon was asleep when the alarm went off but managed to get out with her son Daniel.

"The smoke was atrocious," said Sawdon describing her trek down the stairwell and out a side entrance.

She took her 15-month-old to the hospital to ensure he wasn't harmed.

By Saturday afternoon an emergency cleaning crew from a fire restoration company was in the building starting to cleanup.

"This is a large scale commercial fire," said Earle Chambers of Superior Restoration.

To convey the scope of the fire, he pointed out how the plastic lamp shades along the ground floor hallway, even lights several metres away from the flames, had melted.

Mary Meyers was in a friend's apartment on the third floor when she smelled smoke just before the alarm went off.

They walked down the stairs and out the building's side entrance.

"There was a lot of smoke, I couldn't see any fire," Meyers told The Examiner.

"The fire department and emergency medical personnel did a good job, they made sure we were as comfortable as possible."

City police said they are still investigating the fire.