Latest news with #GaryMosburger
Toronto Sun
05-08-2025
- Toronto Sun
Man, 49, charged after blaze forces dozens from public housing highrise
A 49-year-old man from London is charged with arson, police say, after a fire broke out in an apartment building on Wharncliffe Road North, forcing dozens out of their homes. London police headquarters at 601 Dundas. St. (File photo/The London Free Press) A 49-year-old man from London is charged with arson, police say, after a fire broke out in an apartment building on Wharncliffe Road North, forcing dozens out of their homes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It was about 9:30 a.m. on holiday Monday when London Fire Department crews were called to a highrise at 349 Wharncliffe Rd. N. in response to a blaze. A man had to be rescued from a balcony, platoon Chief Gary Mosburger said Monday, adding the man was not injured. Police on Tuesday said that officers assisting the fire department with removing residents from the building arrested one person in connection with the blaze. A 49-year-old man from London is charged with one count of arson with disregard for human life, police said. He remained in custody, police said on Tuesday, and was scheduled to next appear in London court on Thursday. Anyone with information in relation to this incident was asked to call London police at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The fire was deemed suspicious. About 40 people were forced from their homes in the building, which is located north of Oxford Street and operated by London Middlesex Community Housing. A video posted to social media by the London Fire Department indicated the fire was in a third-floor apartment in the building. The fire was brought under control in about 10 minutes, Mosburger said in an interview on Monday. Matt Senechal, a spokesperson with the public housing authority, said it was not clear Monday evening how many residents, if any, would be forced from their homes for an extended period of time. bbaleeiro@ @BeaBaleeiro Read More Canada World Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Wrestling
CBC
04-08-2025
- CBC
1 person charged after suspicious fire at London community housing apartment
Social Sharing One person has been charged while several other people wait to return to their homes following a Monday morning fire at a community housing complex that police are calling suspicious. Just before 9 a.m., crews were called to an apartment fire at 349 Wharncliffe Rd. N., where they encountered heavy smoke and fire coming from a third-floor unit, platoon chief Gary Mosburger said. Fire crews were able to contain the fire to the one unit in less than 10 minutes, he said, but there was damage to others. "The fire consumed the main apartment unit, and then smoke migration throughout the rest of the building occurred as well," Mosburger said. "HVAC piping as well as general water lines that are coming in to provide water to your sinks can get hot enough that it will melt or break. With that, comes the need to shut off the water." One person has been charged in relation to the fire, police said, but they would not reveal the nature of the charge. Residents told CBC News they saw thick smoke, flames and shattered glass coming from the third floor. "It was thick black smoke. It smelled very chemically, like burnt rubber almost," said eighth-floor resident Mackenzie Lavalliere, who had been outside with her dogs since the fire broke out. "Everything's charred on the balcony and the whole window blew off." The eight-floor high-rise building, located just off Western Road, has 145 units and is owned by London Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH). "I woke up, looked out the balcony and saw thick black smoke with some dude on the [third floor] balcony," said Cheryl Ann Linekar, who was staying over at the apartment building the night before. "As time went on, it got hotter and glass was exploding literally all over the place. At one point, he was ducking down and the fireman had to put the ladder up to rescue him," she said. Fire crews rescued one person who was living in the unit where the fire started, Mosburger said, and that person is being treated for smoke inhalation. About 50 people were told to exit the building this morning, though many have now returned to their units. Mosburger said it is unclear how many people will not be able to return to the apartment tonight. "It's really situational, due to the fact that the smoke was coming out of the west side of the building so if people had windows open or smoke was being sucked in by HVAC units, it obviously affected their units," Mosburger said. "It was a little bit all over the place." Red Cross, London police and LMCH will help people find temporary accommodations if necessary, Mosburger said. "We are working with emergency services and supporting tenants affected by the incident. The safety and well-being of our tenants is our top priority," LMCH spokesperson Matt Senechal said in a statement. Linekar was staying two floors up from the fire and said that while she is allowed to return to the unit, she plans to stay outdoors until more smoke clears. "It smells so bad. You can smell it out here, but it's way worse in there," she said. Crews are continuing to monitor air quality, Mosburger said. Fires common at apartment building, residents say Mosburger would not comment on the cause of Monday's fire, but said that it is believed to be suspicious. Fire prevention investigators and London police will continue investigating. Damage is estimated at over $200,000, Mosburger said. Some building residents and neighbours say fires are a common sight at the community housing apartment. "When I moved in here in April of 2024, there was a fire alarm every other day or every other week, so we just got used to it," said Lavalliere, adding that she always checks the London fire scanner before leaving the building to ensure it's not a false alarm. Linekar, who visits the apartment building often, said she has seen fires four separate times.
CBC
04-08-2025
- General
- CBC
Residents waiting for answers after suspicious fire at London community housing apartment
Social Sharing Several people are waiting to return to their homes following a Monday morning fire at a community housing complex that fire crews are calling suspicious. Just before 9 a.m., crews were called to an apartment fire at 349 Wharncliffe Rd. N., where they encountered heavy smoke and fire coming from a third-floor unit, platoon chief Gary Mosburger said. Fire crews were able to contain the fire to the one unit in less than 10 minutes, he said, but there was damage to others. "The fire consumed the main apartment unit, and then smoke migration throughout the rest of the building occurred as well," Mosburger said. "HVAC piping as well as general water lines that are coming in to provide water to your sinks can get hot enough that it will melt or break. With that, comes the need to shut off the water." Residents told CBC News they saw thick smoke, flames and shattered glass coming from the third floor. "It was thick black smoke. It smelled very chemically, like burnt rubber almost," said eighth-floor resident Mackenzie Lavalliere, who had been outside with her dogs since the fire broke out. "Everything's charred on the balcony and the whole window blew off." The eight-floor high-rise building, located just off Western Road, has 145 units and is owned by London Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH). "I woke up, looked out the balcony and saw thick black smoke with some dude on the [third floor] balcony," said Cheryl Ann Linekar, who was staying over at the apartment building the night before. "As time went on, it got hotter and glass was exploding literally all over the place. At one point, he was ducking down and the fireman had to put the ladder up to rescue him," she said. Fire crews rescued one person who was living in the unit where the fire started, Mosburger said, and that person is being treated for smoke inhalation. "It's really situational, due to the fact that the smoke was coming out of the west side of the building so if people had windows open or smoke was being sucked in by HVAC units, it obviously affected their units," Mosburger said. "It was a little bit all over the place." About 50 people were told to exit the building this morning, though many have now returned to their units. Mosburger said it is unclear how many people will not be able to return to the apartment tonight. Red Cross, London police and LMCH will help people find temporary accommodations if necessary, Mosburger said. "We are working with emergency services and supporting tenants affected by the incident. The safety and well-being of our tenants is our top priority," LMCH spokesperson Matt Senechal said in a statement. Linekar was staying two floors up from the fire and said that while she is allowed to return to the unit, she plans to stay outdoors until more smoke clears. "It smells so bad. You can smell it out here, but it's way worse in there," she said. Crews are continuing to monitor air quality, Mosburger said. Fires common at apartment building, residents say Mosburger would not comment on the cause of Monday's fire, but said that it is believed to be suspicious. Fire prevention investigators and London police will continue investigating. Damage is estimated at over $200,000, Mosburger said. Some building residents and neighbours say fires are a common sight at the community housing apartment. "When I moved in here in April of 2024, there was a fire alarm every other day or every other week, so we just got used to it," said Lavalliere, adding that she always checks the London fire scanner before leaving the building to ensure it's not a false alarm. Linekar, who visits the apartment building often, said she has seen fires four separate times. "I don't even know what or how I feel. It's just stressful," she said.
CTV News
04-08-2025
- General
- CTV News
Residents temporarily evacuated after gas leak in East London
A vacant home at 389 Vancouver Street in London, Ont. was the site of a gas leak Monday, Aug 4, 2025 (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London) Some east London residents were temporarily evacuated Monday morning after a gas leak at a vacant home on Vancouver Street. 'We had a report of a natural gas odor from the exterior of the building,' said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. 'First crews arrived on scene and there was a heavy odor of natural gas within the home. We took immediate action to evacuate residents from the area to ensure the safety of a potential explosion. We actually shut down hydro remotely with London Hydro to ensure the safety and reduce any potential spark.' Crews ventilated the property and brought levels back to normal ranges, so they could begin allowing neighbours to return home. 'We've seen this many times before and, of course, we know the implications of an explosion when it comes to natural gas,' said Mosburger, referring to the Woodman Avenue explosion in 2019. 'We take every safety measure possible to ensure the safety of our people as well as anybody that's around the area.'
CTV News
04-08-2025
- CTV News
One person in custody after apartment building fire in North London
One person was taken into custody and an entire floor out of commission after apartment building fire in North London. 'London fire crews were alerted by multiple 911 calls to 349 Wharncliffe Road for an apartment fire with somebody trapped on the balcony,' said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger of the London Fire Department. 'Our first engine arrived, within four minutes of notification and was able to successfully deploy ladders to rescue that person from the balcony. We have the fire under control on the third floor; we've got the building evacuated in and working with our partners to help support the evacuees.' Wharncliffe fire Aug. 4 London firefighters had to rescue a person from a balcony on the third floor after a fire at 349 Wharncliffe Road North Monday morning (Brent Lale/CTV London) Some residents were able to shelter in place, but most evacuated the building. The third floor is out of commission for people going back in. Fire officials said smoke went up above the unit to higher floors, so firefighters are working to make sure everyone is safe. Residents told CTV News this is the second fire in that same unit, which led them to believe that's why the tenant was taken into custody. Wharncliffe fire Aug. 4 London Fire fighters had to rescue a person from a balcony on the third floor after a fire at 349 Wharncliffe Rd. North Monday morning (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London) A man was taken into custody by London Police after a fire in his unit at 349 Wharncliffe Road North Monday morning. (Brent Lale/CTV London) 'Our area of responsibility is the fire itself,' said Mosburger. 'We've contacted our fire prevention investigators to come in and determine the origin, cause, and circumstance of the fire. Fire at this time of the day is rather not normal with respect to this type of building. We have a lot of fire damage and smoke damage throughout, so our investigators will do their origin cause and get back to us with that information.'
