Fire destroys historic building in downtown Orillia

A heritage building in Orillia was destroyed by a fire Tuesday, displacing residents and businesses that called it home. 

The fire broke out early in the morning in the first floor of the building, located at the corner of Mississauga Street and Peter Street, before spreading to the second floor, said Orillia Fire Chief Chris Ferry.

The roof and second floor of the three-storey building collapsed, which means the building is likely a total loss, Ferry said.

The block surrounding the intersection was closed down for most of the day as firefighters monitored for hotspots and flare-ups in the building. 

No injuries have been reported. 

Drone footage captured Tuesday by Justin Mercer of D & J's Video Productions shows heavy smoke and flames shooting out of the top of a multi-storey building. 

Marley Lauro lives in a building next door to the one that caught fire Tuesday. She said she was getting ready for work Tuesday morning when she got a frantic call from one of her friends.

"She was like, 'You need to get out of your apartment right now,'" Lauro said. 

"I grabbed absolutely nothing except for my dog and my coat and my car keys."

Fire crews managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to the building where Lauro lives, but it still caused serious smoke and water damage. As a result, Lauro said her ceiling caved in, so she's not sure if or when if or when she'll be able to get back into her apartment.

Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac said the building was over 100 years old and housed several businesses and apartments. 

"We're ecstatic that everyone is safe as far as we know, but it's terrible to lose a building like this."

McIsaac said the people all over the city are stepping up to help those impacted. 

"We bonded together to help with this fire." 

The fire chief said he expects crews will be on scene throughout the night dousing the building with water, as the fire is still smouldering inside the building.