Two streets in downtown St. Catharines, Ont., remain shut down as firefighters continue their efforts to fully put out a fire that lasted almost 18 hours.
The blaze at 17 Queen St., which used to house the newspaper, began around 11 p. m. Friday, according to city spokesperson Scott Rosts in a news release Saturday night.
The fire department reported they managed to extinguish it by about 5 p. m. Saturday.
However, Queen Street and William Street are still closed on Sunday while crews keep working in the vicinity, as noted by the city on social media around 9:30 a. m.
St. Catharines Fire Services shared an update around 10:30 a. m., indicating that drivers can exit from the Ontario Street garage.
“William Street will be closed again through Monday morning to allow for crews to do their work safely and efficiently,” the city said. “We still ask the community to avoid the area.”
The fire affected the upper floor of the building and spread to other sections, Rosts mentioned. A part of the roof collapsed, prompting firefighters to use an excavator to access parts of the structure and douse the flames.
He added that “due to the severe structural damage and unsafe conditions,” there will not be an investigation by the Fire Marshal; instead, they have classified the cause of the fire as “undetermined.”
No injuries have been reported for either civilians or firefighters, according to Rosts.
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