Goderich, Ont. Home Hardware fire cause determined

Fire crews responded to a blaze at the Home Hardware store in Goderich, Ont. on May 25, 2024. (Source: Aric Brindley)

Investigators with Ontario's Fire Marshal's Office and the Goderich Fire Department have determined that the fire that levelled Watson's Home Hardware over the weekend was not intentionally set.

Goderich Fire Chief Jeff Wormington said they couldn't immediately discount arson because of how slow and unique the fire burned.

It started on May 25 at approximately 7 p.m., two hours after the hardware store had closed for the night.

Wormington said the cause of the multi-million dollar fire is considered electrical in nature.

Damage caused by the blaze has been pegged at $4 million.

What happens to the building however is still unclear. While most of the large retail store on the south side of Goderich was heavily damaged, approximately a quarter of the brick structure was largely still in intact, thanks to a firewall.