Suspicious fire engulfs a hotel undergoing demolition

London, Ontario, CANADA - Officials are taking safety precautions as they investigate a suspicious fire that engulfed a hotel on Saturday, November 8.

The officials in the case are concerned that the Brunswick Hotel, a building that is more than 150 years old, possibly contains asbestos. They are also worried that its structural integrity after the fire is a significant risk to the fire investigators.

The Ontario Ministry of Labor has hired a construction safety inspector to evaluate the building's status before permitting the fire department to do its job.

The Wick, as the hotel is commonly referred to, is considered a historic landmark in the city of London by many. However, efforts to save the building from demolition last month failed, and the hotel was being torn down before the fire occurred. The police believe the fire that started early Saturday morning was suspicious and arson detectives are on the case to determine its cause.

The City Council had rejected the hotel owner's demolition application back in August. There were talks in the community of trying to save the structure under the Ontario Heritage Act, but in the end, demolition work started on the building on October 19.

Fire crews arrived at the hotel around 3 a.m. after receiving calls about the fire. It took firefighters roughly an hour and a half to put out the flames.

Later that morning, officials mentioned they were concerned that the building could collapse on its own at any moment.

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