High winds fuel house fire and trigger partial collapse

A house has partially collapsed on Manitoulin Drive after fire ripped through it Monday.

London firefighters were called to a wind-driven blaze that destroyed the rear of a home in east London.

The fire began just before 2 p.m. on Monday.

Everyone inside the home managed to escape and call 911.

“Crews responded and were met with heavy smoke and fire, a very wind-driven fire,” explained Platoon Chief Colin Shewell.

Crews managed to quickly contain the fire to the rear addition, which partially collapsed.

“The back addition did collapse,” Shewell explained. “Our firefighters were working on a defensive attack so there was no one in the structure at the time.”

Shewell added that the flames had already damaged a neighbouring home when firefighters arrived.

No one was injured by the fire.

The extent of the damage is estimated at $450,000.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.