Bruce Street fires will be turned over to police: OFM

Investigators with the Ontario Fire Marshal and South Stormont's fire prevention office comb over the damage to a home on Bruce Street on Friday, March 19, 2021. There have been two fires at the home in a two week period. Damage from the previous fire is seen covered up at the back corner of the home. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)

SOUTH STORMONT/CORNWALL – A couple of fires over two weeks in March at a Bruce Street home will be turned over to Ontario Provincial Police, the Ontario Fire Marshal has confirmed.

OFM spokeswoman Kristy Denette told Cornwall Newswatch earlier this month their investigations usually take about 45 days to complete “as there’s analysis to complete and a review process.”

Denette previously indicated that it’s a “police-led” investigation at this point.

SD&G O.P.P. Const. Tylor Copeland says it didn’t appear that a detective had been assigned to the case as of two weeks ago.

The two fires happened in mid-March – the second happening around 11:30 a.m. Friday, March 19 at 3231 Bruce Street – the fourth home on the east side of the street, north of Cornwall Centre Road.

The previous occurrence was a morning fire – around 6:30 a.m. – when a neighbour saw sparks and smoke coming from the vents of the single-storey home. The people inside were able to evacuate safely.