Investigations continue in two Cambridge fires from the weekend

Fire in Hespeler treated as suspicious Residents were forced to evacuate after a multi-unit residence on Queen Street W caught fire on Saturday. Colton Wiens has the details.

Careless smoking is believed to be the cause of a fire in Cambridge on Saturday and another fire hours later is being treated as suspicious.

Fire officials said they were called to a fire at a duplex on Dover Street just after 3:30 p.m.

“The residents were smoking on an elevated balcony, a second-story balcony. It sounds like the careless disposal of smoking materials ended up causing a fire on the balcony,” Cambridge Fire Platoon Chief Mark Jones said.

Fire officials say approximately $150,000 worth of damage was done. The residents living on the second floor will be displaced.

Investigators are still determining whether charges will be laid.

Meanwhile, with dry weather, and hot temperatures sticking around, Jones is reminding people of the importance of following proper fire safety procedures.

“We are trying to emphasize to make sure you properly dispose of smoking materials so we don’t have a residential fire or even a wildland fire,” said Jones.

QUEEN STREET WEST FIRE

Later in the day, fire officials responded to a fire on Queen Street West around 7:10 p.m.

The fire caused $150,000 in damages, officials said.

According to Waterloo Regional Police, the fire is being treated as suspicious.

“At this time it is still being investigated by our inspectors and prevention division. So until later, I don’t have anything to disclose at this time,” said Cambridge Fire Platoon Chief Mark Jones.

A neighbour said she could hear the alarms coming from the property and went outside to find out what was happening.

“I just looked over into the backyard of this building, [and] saw everybody exiting the building. A whole bunch of smoke coming out of the top of the building and fire trucks following that. There was probably three or four fire trucks,” neighbour Tammy Leullier said.