Sault Fire Services investigating downtown fire

Sault Fire Services investigating downtown blaze No injuries have been reported following a fire that broke out in downtown Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday.

Investigators are searching for the cause of a fire at a building in downtown Sault Ste. Marie that forced nearby business to close while the structural integrity of the building is assessed.

Sault Fire Services said the call came in around 8:30 Wednesday morning, with a total of 16 firefighters from all four stations responding to the call.

At last check, officials said there are no civilian injuries and no firefighters were hurt.

Smoke and flames could be seen rising from the roof of the property at 647 Queen St. East. The Grand Theatre, directly west of the structure, is said to have sustained only minor damage.

The owner of Loplops to the east of the building said while he has not been able to get a good look at the inside of his property, he’s been told the damage is also minor.

However, the owner of The Dive Gastro Pub across the street said she’s been told not to open for at least a day.

“Right now, we’re in the middle of a collapse zone, (but) we’re also going to be in the middle of a construction zone right afterward,” said Becky Sawyer.

“All we can really hope for is that they get it done speedy, safely, and we’ll open our doors again as soon as we’re able to. But for the time being, we’ve been told that we can’t open.”

There has been chatter on the street about squatters occasionally occupying the otherwise vacant structure, with one witness saying they saw someone on the roof before the fire broke out.

Sawyer said there have been some “unsavoury” elements in the area.

“We’ve seen people hanging around, ushered them off, kind of spook people away, but, I mean, at the end of the day, what can we do?” she said.

“It’s not our place. People are going to find their way in there.”

Sault Fire Services said renovations were underway leading up to the fire. Vacant buildings in general are concerning because they are not typically maintained, inspected or properly secured, leaving them vulnerable to vandalism and fires.