Fire destroys Crown Street home, sends 3 to hospital in Thunder Bay, Ont.

A three-storey home on Crown Street in Thunder Bay, Ont., was destroyed by a structural fire Sunday afternoon.

Members of Thunder Bay Fire Rescue (TBFR) responded to the scene near the intersection at Bay Street around noon after receiving several calls about a possible explosion.

"We could see a large plume of smoke initially right after the call and had units on scene really quickly," platoon chief Stephen Vincent said at the scene.

He said three people were treated in hospital. No firefighter injuries were reported.

"Both of the neighbouring residences had also caught fire. Fire crews worked quickly to extinguish the fire affecting the adjacent homes," TBFR said in a release. "Allthough the house involved in the explosion was completely destroyed, there was very little damage to the surrounding residences." 

A CBC News reporter on the scene witnessed at least half a dozen fire trucks along Crown Street that were responding to the blaze, as well as members of the Thunder Bay Police Service and Enbridge Gas. Firefighters were seen dousing the remnants of the single-family dwelling from the balcony of an adjacent residence. 

Debris was scattered around the property, along with shards of glass on the sidewalk across the street. Dozens of neighbours watched fire crews respond, many of which were observing from Hillcrest Park. Black smoke could be seen from Memorial Avenue, witnesses told CBC News.

The cause of the blaze has not been confirmed, said Vincent.

"Due to the extent of the fire and the buildings on both sides, we called the third alarm, which emptied the city of resources," he said. "We had individuals called in on their time off to man trucks, so that we can still respond in town."

In all, eight pumpers, two aerial ladders and a command unit responded to the scene.

The Office of the Fire Marshal has been notified and is expected to begin its investigation soon.

Power and gas were shut off on the block as a precaution. Just after 2 p.m. ET, Vincent said those services would be restored shortly.

"TBFR would like to remind the public to ensure that natural gas appliances are maintained properly by qualified persons," the fire department said in Sunday's news release.