On Sunday, June 11, 2023, just before 11:00 p.m., the Barrie Police Service and Barrie Fire and Emergency Services (BFES) responded to a report of a fire at 31 Bayfield St.
Upon arrival, a fire was located in a second-floor washroom and quickly extinguished by Barrie firefighters before it had the chance to spread to any of the upstairs apartments or the licenced establishment below.
It was determined that the fire had been intentionally set and police were provided a description of a suspect who had been observed exiting the building as Barrie Fire arrived on scene.
A person matching the description was located just east of the scene and was arrested without incident by police for Arson – Disregard for Human Life.
A 22-year-old male of no fixed address was subsequently transported to Barrie Police Headquarters where he was held pending a bail hearing which is scheduled to take place later today by video with the Ontario Court of Justice located in Barrie.
Police credit the immediate response by Barrie Fire and Emergency Services and rapid detection and extinguishing of the fire as the outcome could have been significantly different. In the end, BFES was able to use a large fan to rid the area of smoke which allowed the tenants of to return their rooms.
| Occurrence #: | BA23037493 |
| Prepared by: | Corporate Communications Coordinator Peter Leon |