UPDATED — March 29, 8:49 a.m.
Donations are coming in to help the people displaced by a March 26 fire in Copper cliff, which destroyed eight townhouses and left 27 people homeless and with the clothing on their backs.
No one was injured, Greater Sudbury Police noted in a press release. However, a number of pets perished, according to Greater Sudbury Fire Services and unconfirmed reports from the public. The estimated damage of the blaze is estimated at well over a million dollars, stated police.
Donations of clothing and toys for children were collected at Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church, on Sunday, and will be collected again Monday to Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and again from 4-7 pm. The phone number for the church is 682-4683.
Donations for the victims are also being collected at the old fire hall at 7 Serpentine St., Copper Cliff, which is now a police sub-station.
The fire, which broke out around 8 p.m., was attended by the volunteer department in Copper Cliff. It also required two full stations of fire fighters as well as relief off-duty firefighters to put out. Volunteer firefighters responded from Long Lake, Val Therese and New Sudbury. It was also attended by EMS and police services.
The Ontario Fire Marshall is now investigating the circumstances of the blaze, which could take weeks as remains of the fire are analyzed.
A 50-year-old man was also taken into custody and charged with common assault and breach of probation. He will appear in bail court on March 29.
Anyone with information about the fire on March 26 should contact the Greater Sudbury Police at 675-9171 or Sudbury Rainbow Crime Stoppers at 222-TIPS (8477), 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.sudburycrimestoppers.com, or by texting CRIMES (274637) with the word TIPSUD and the tip information.
