‘Suspicious’ fire at townhomes under construction in Fort Erie caught on video, 2 arrested

Viewer video shows flames pouring out of a townhouse under construction in Fort Erie, Ont. The fire is being investigated as suspicious.

Two people are facing charges after a “suspicious” weekend fire at residential construction site in Fort Erie that was captured on video.

The blaze broke out at around 6:45 a.m. Saturday in the vicinity of Allen and Whispering Woods trails.

In viewer video obtained by CP24, bright orange flames and a large flume of black smoke can be seen filling the early-morning sky as firefighters attempt to bring the blaze under control. In another clip, a large under construction home is seen completely engulfed in flames.

In a news release, police said officers found a row of townhomes under construction “fully engulfed in flames” upon arrival at the scene.

The Fort Erie Fire Department also attended and doused the fire.

No injuries were reported.

Police said a subsequent investigation revealed that shortly after smoke was seen billowing from the townhomes two males were observed leaving the building. They said officers found them a short distance away and arrested them.

Michael Magin, 36, of Fort Erie, has been charged with break and enter to commit mischief over $5,000 and fail to comply with probation order, while Jason Batt, 45, of St. Catharines, has been charged with break and enter to commit mischief over $5,000. The accused have both been released on a promise to appear in court on April 11.

Early estimates peg the damage from the fire at roughly $400,000.

Police are continuing to investigate and ask anyone with surveillance footage from the area to come forward.