There were no injuries and property damage is minimal due to the state of the vacant building.
North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whiteley says a furniture fire at the former Sands Motel on McIntyre Street East was knocked down quickly by fire crews but could have been "much worse," due to the location and wooden materials nearby.
Whiteley gave credit to a passerby who noticed smoke coming from the former motel's first floor and called the fire in just before 11 this morning.
The Sands was once a hot spot of activity but fell on hard times and has been in its current state of disrepair for some time. Local developers purchased the property with designs on converting the building to condos but that progress has stalled.
See related story: Well known Inn could soon be converted into condos as part of multi-million dollar project
And: Reno work on Sands Motel temporarily on hold
Chief Whiteley says firefighters searched the vacant motel but found no one inside. He suspects a trespasser likely caused the structure fire due to carelessness, adding the blaze could have even been caused by a discarded smouldering cigarette as far back as overnight. The cause will be listed as "suspicious," says Whiteley but he doesn't expect the investigation will result in apprehending the person responsible.
