A fire that caused millions of dollars in damage to a Kanata strip mall early Tuesday morning is being investigated as an arson, Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) said.
According to OFS, someone called 911 around 3:31 a.m. to report heavy black smoke coming from 471 Hazeldean Rd. Emergency crews arrived around 3:45 a.m., OFS said.
A second alarm was called at 3:57 a.m., summoning more firefighters to the scene. No one was injured.
The strip mall contains about 15 businesses including a Chinese restaurant, a produce store, a wine shop, a pizzeria and a butcher.
Fire spread through the walls and roofs of four units, but firefighters were able to contain the flames before they could spread to other businesses. Two searches turned up no occupants, OFS said.
“The incident has displaced many businesses, and the damage caused by the fire is estimated in the millions of dollars,” according to a news release from Ottawa police Tuesday afternoon.
Their arson unit is now investigating the fire and is asking the public for any video footage of “suspicious activity” in the area of Castlefrank and Hazeldean roads between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m.