The entrance to O'Brien Street from the North Bay bypass was closed early this morning as fire crews battled a blaze at the south end of the Colonel Hoagies restaurant building.
Jason Whiteley, North Bay's Fire Chief confirms to BayToday that one man who was a tenant of the building was taken to hospital with injuries related to an attempt to escape the fire. Paramedics and Police were also on the scene.
Whiteley says Victims Services was called in for support.
Smoke damage has been reported in the other two businesses on the property including Colonel Hoagies restaurant and Passionate Kisses at 1128 O'Brien.
This was the third early morning fire the service responded to on Wednesday.
Of the three fires called in, the first was at 4:30 a.m. when some wooden pallets were set on fire at Burrows Country Store and Garden Centre on Third Ave., 5:02 a.m., at the Gateway Tools building, 790 Cassells, near a gas meter, and 5:14 a.m. at Colonel Hoagies.
Whiteley says the string of fires is highly unusual.
"Right now we are treating all three fires as suspicious, especially the O'Brien fire," Whiteley told BayToday. Firefighters put this blaze out with no damage to the nearby business.
Whiteley says the damage was kept outside the Gateway Tools building but believes it was started in some brush which was leaned against the gas meter of that building which he stated was "a real danger."
Whiteley says the Fire Marshall's Office may be called in to investigate due to the suspicious nature of the fires.
Hoagie's Diner is closed until further notice.
On her Facebook page, the owner Kate Kuntz wrote, "Early this morning there was a fire in our building that will prevent us from being open for the time being...Thank you to the North Bay Firefighters for a quick response 
Stay tuned for updates!"
