Part of Donly Drive in Simcoe was shut down early Saturday morning after a fire started at an abandoned factory.
Norfolk OPP and local firefighters arrived at the scene between Victoria Street and Boswell Drive around 2:45 a. m.
When fire crews got there, they saw smoke and flames coming from the front of the building.
A search showed that no one was inside the building during the incident.
“The fire caused structural damage to the roof causing collapse, which hindered our ability to conduct a fire investigation,” said Norfolk County Deputy Fire Chief James Robertson.
Damage is estimated at $10,000, factoring in the previous condition of the building.
The cause remains unclear, but officials do not believe it was suspicious.
“At this time we have no information to suggest it was maliciously set. There were no witnesses to the fire, and no one was located at the scene. Given that we couldn’t safely access the area of origin, we’re unable to determine a cause,” said Robertson.
It’s hard to see the structure from the street due to overgrown trees and shrubs blocking its view.
“(Norfolk County’s) building and by-law enforcement staff are attending the property to assess the structural damage and address any property standards concerns,” Robertson said.
Fire crews left before 6 a. m., but some members of Norfolk County Fire Station 4 came back later that morning for a short while.
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