After a two-hour walk through a badly damaged four-storey commercial building at the corner of Somerset and Bank streets, the Ottawa police arson unit and fire investigators say an early morning fire that ripped through the building and caused an estimated $4 million in damages, is likely suspicious. The Ontario Fire Marshal's office is now investigating.
"We have early indications to believe there is a suspicious nature to this, so that's why we're bringing the experts in," said Sgt James Pietrkiewicz of the Ottawa police arson unit.
It took 68 firefighters to put out the multi-million dollar fire, which had completely engulfed the building in flames when crews arrived at about 2 a.m. Monday.
"The fire department has told us that they think the fire started on the second floor and there was also some fire on the fourth floor. And, then we have water damage from putting out the fire," said Luigi Caparelli, president of Gold Key Property Management.
Fire forces businesses to close
The fire has displaced the High Commission of Bangladesh and left at least 12 commercial tenants unable to do business, contributing to existing financial woes caused by years of summer construction and a recent road closure that was put in place when a nearby heritage building nearly collapsed.
"We've had one thing after another here for the last three years, it's horrible," said Efie Gattas of Gabriel's Pizza, one of the businesses on the ground floor of the building. "This corner is cursed."
Gattas said she expects the forced closure of her pizza shop to cost her about $3,500 in lost revenue on Monday.
"Friday's we do $7,000-8,000. I mean, good thing it didn't happen on the weekend which is our busiest time," she said.
It is currently unclear when businesses in the building will be able to re-open.
Somerset Street between Kent and O'Connor, as well as Bank Street northbound at Maclaren were closed for several hours while crews worked to quell the blaze Monday morning.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins
