A fire that caused extensive damage to a South Marks Street house has been deemed suspicious.
“We think it may have been deliberately set. We don’t have conclusive evidence so we’ve called for assistance from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal,” said Bob Vander Ploeg, fire prevention officer with Thunder Bay Fire Rescue.
A fire marshal is expected to arrive in the city today.
While the house, which consisted of two apartments, is structurally sound, Vander Ploeg said the fire caused extensive damage at the rear of the house.
“The entire porch has been fire damaged. The vinyl siding and the tar paper type siding at the rear of the house is almost completely burned off the house. Windows were broken all on the back of the house,” he said.
“There’s holes in the roof and extensive damage in the kitchen on the main floor,” Vander Ploeg added.
The fire happened early Tuesday morning, forcing the two residents to flee the building.
No one was injured.
The initial knockdown of the blaze was rapid, but it spread to the roof and attic area.
“The attic is always difficult to access,” said Vander Ploeg.
