Large fire at The Hopper in Cambridge prompts heavy emergency response

Cambridge firefighters were called to a large structure fire Saturday night around 9 p.m.

In a tweet, Cambridge Fire said five stations were operating in the defensive strategy.

Both fire crews and the Waterloo Regional Police Service attended the scene at King and Lowther Streets in the Preston area.

Police closed streets in the area and asked people to avoid that part of the city.

No injuries have been reported and there is no word on what caused the fire.

Smoke and flames could be seen coming from the building where The Hopper, a dance club and pub, used to operate out of. The establishment’s sign still hangs out front, but it has been closed for some time.

The building was built in the 1800s and is considered a landmark in Preston.

This isn’t the first time the building has gone up in flames. In 2015, a fire broke out and displaced at least eight residents from the rooming house which, at the time, was on the second floor. The Hopper was located on the main floor.

At the time, the damage estimate was pegged at $100,000.

This is a developing story. More to come...