Sturgeon Falls residents were greeted early Friday morning with plumes of smoke.
The blaze occurred in an empty gas bar at 162 Front St. in Sturgeon Falls.
West Nipissing Fire and Emergency Services were able to get the fire under control before 8:30 a.m. as witnesses say the fire started around 7 a.m.
According to witnesses, two people were seen fleeing the vacant building at the time the blaze first broke out.
Frank Loeffen, fire chief with West Nipissing Fire and Emergency Services, says the fire is considered suspicious.
"The investigation has been turned over the Ontario Provincial Police Crime Unit and the Fire Marshall's Office has been notified and we will be involved in it as well," said Loeffen.
He says the fire call came in at 7:14 Friday morning.
"We were able to knock down the fire fast and there were three areas of origin and we had Station 6 out of Verner for backup," Loeffen said.
Traffic on Front Street was detoured around the fire scene until about 8 a.m.
Loeffen says no one was injured in the fire.
