Kitchener business owner reeling after intentional fire scorches building
A business owner in Kitchener says he’s feeling defeated after his business caught fire again early Sunday morning.
“[It’s] not good. It's been stressful for everybody,” Surajit Biswas said, standing outside the charred S B Leather Furniture building on Madison Avenue.
Biswas has owned and operated the business since 1988.
“A lot of history -- good and bad,” said Biswas.
The “bad” is referring to a previous fire that took out a portion of his business over two decades ago. In 2002, a storage building behind the main facility was destroyed.
Fast forward to Sunday around 1 a.m., emergency services responded to a fire on the same property. This time, at the rear of the main building.
Waterloo regional police say the fire is considered suspicious, with the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) called in to assist with the investigation.
After investigators spent several hours on scene Sunday, police tell CTV News they now have reason to believe the fire was intentionally set.
No injuries have been reported.
While the fire Sunday morning was not as significant as the last, Biswas is left wondering why his business was targeted.
“[It’s] not good for us and for the community,” Biswas said.
Biswas says fire crews informed him early damage estimates could vary once investigators can get inside.
“The fire department estimated structure-wise, maybe $300,000, and maybe inside, another $300,000 to $400,000,” he said.
He’s more so concerned about his employees, rather than the cost of repairs.
“A lot of people work here. Their lives are also critical to us so it's bad for everybody,” Biswas said.
According to police data, they have responded to 268 fires so far this year, with 39 deemed suspicious. For the same time frame in 2022, Waterloo regional police say they responded to 277 fires, with 36 classified as suspicious.
“[Investigators] will look at anything from source of ignition, cause of the fire, where the fire was located, any individuals that were observed in the area at the time,” said WRPS Const. Melissa Quarrie.
As investigators continue to piece together what happened, Biswas just hopes it's the last time he has to pick up the literal pieces of his business.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.