Firefighters battle flames and exploding propane tanks during homeless camp fire in London

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 07, 2025 8:04 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

One idiosyncratic is successful constabulary custody aft a occurrence astatine a stateless campy successful London, Ont., that officials accidental was acceptable intentionally. 

Firefighters were called to the blaze astatine the Watson Street Park encampment astatine astir 10 p.m. ET and had to woody with exploding propane tanks and a tough-to-access fire. 

"A occurrence adjacent the stream was reported by an idiosyncratic and it rapidly escalated to a overmuch larger effect due to the fact that we were getting aggregate calls from antithetic areas," said platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. 

"Because of the roadworthy operation and wherever it was, entree was a spot of a challenge. We had to travel successful from a antithetic absorption down a motorcycle way to beryllium capable to entree the occurrence and had to relay h2o in." 

The occurrence has been deemed arson and 1 idiosyncratic has been arrested, London constabulary said Monday. 

"At the tallness of the fire, we did person respective propane tanks that were exploding, truthful we did person a reasonably important hazard astatine the tract to woody with," Mosburger added. "It tin decidedly beryllium a scary concern for our firefighters, but we're 1 of the highest-trained professions erstwhile it comes to an all-hazard approach." 

There's nary accusation astir however galore radical were surviving astatine the campy astatine the clip of the blaze. 

Another occurrence connected Hubrey Road

Fire crews were besides called retired to different occurrence overnight, this clip astatine an concern country disconnected Wilton Grove Road, Mosburger said.

"When they arrived, our crews recovered a precise ample commercialized concern trailer that was afloat involved." 

A antheral and his canine had near the trailer earlier occurrence crews arrived. The occurrence isn't suspicious but the trailer is destroyed. Damage is pegged astatine $150,000.