3 days ago
Police investigating 3rd suspected arson in Toronto in less than a week
Toronto police are investigating a suspected arson after a fire at a business in Scarborough early Tuesday — the third fire being investigated as an arson in the city in less than a week.
The incident happened in a plaza near Birchmount Road and Vauxhall Drive around 3:15 a.m., Toronto police said in a post on X.
Fire crews extinguished the fire, which did not spread, Toronto Fire said. There were no injuries, they said.
Crews remain on scene, and fire investigators have been notified.
Police said the investigation is ongoing. There is no suspect information available at this time.
Spokesperson Stephanie Miceli said she does not have information on the type of business in an email Tuesday. A reserved parking sign on the side of the building refers to it as a "Greek coffee shop."
Images from the scene Tuesday show the building's front windows were broken.
This fire follows a suspected arson at a Scarborough restaurant on Friday near Kennedy Road and Lawrence Avenue E.
Three male suspects wearing dark clothes and masks were seen leaving the area, police said at the time.
No injuries were reported, and Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal is not investigating the incident.
Police investigators will work to determine whether the two fires are connected, Miceli said.
Another fire happened at a restaurant in Scarborough early Saturday morning near Kennedy Road and Lawrence Avenue E. Police didn't label the incident a suspected arson at the time and said they are investigating the cause.
Mayor Olivia Chow said she received a full briefing from Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop on Saturday and Tuesday, speaking at an unrelated city announcement Tuesday.
She declined to comment further on the incidents, saying the Ontario Fire Marshal and police are told CBC Radio's Metro Morning earlier Tuesday she doesn't think people should be concerned about going to restaurants in Scarborough as the fires have happened during early hours "when the customers were not there."
"We'll keep people safe," she said.
Police are also investigating a suspected arson at a two-storey building in East York on Wednesday that sent three people to hospital for minor smoke inhalation.
The incident happened at 834 Pape Avenue at a building with a business on the main level and a residential space above, police said at the time.
Investigators are looking for three suspects who allegedly broke into the building, set fire to it and then fled. They wore dark clothing and masks, and were carrying red gas cans, police said.
