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Updated: Fire at former Theatre Cambrian building deemed suspicious

‘The nature of the fire’ was such that Ontario Fire Marshal, GSPS have been called in

Updated Oct. 1 at 11:10 a.m.

An early-morning fire at the former Theatre Cambrian/St. Eugene church building on Eyre Street has been deemed suspicious.

Greater Sudbury Fire Services Deputy Fire Chief Jesse Oshell said the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office and Greater Sudbury Police Service has been brought in to investigate the fire.

“Certainly the nature of the fire was that we felt the need to call in police services and the fire marshal’s office,” Oshell said.

There were no injuries to either firefighters or civilians, and firefighters have not observed any civilians in or around the building since their arrival on scene.

He said the fire was called in at 6:15 a.m. Friday morning, with reports that flames and smoke were coming from some of the windows in the building. Firefighters were able to get the fire under control within half an hour.

Oshell said the fire was centred in the former theatre space/sanctuary in the building. He estimates the damage to be in the range of $500,000. 

“As you can imagine, the former church/theatre has vaulted ceilings, wide open spaces,” he said. 

“Everything is certainly covered in ash and soot, and the fire was hot. There was a lot of heat damage as well, fire damage, and damage to the windows. Certainly we had to tear apart some walls and areas to get at the fire.”

Theatre Cambrian, which was experiencing financial difficulties a few years back, is no longer in possession of the Eyre Street building, a former church that the group had converted into a theatre.

“They aren’t the owner,” Oshell said. “We did speak to the owner. It’s a numbered company.”

He said the building is still very much “set up like the former theatre space,” and there were no renovations underway that firefighters could see.

Original story:

Greater Sudbury Fire Services is on scene at a fire at the Theatre Cambrian building on Eyre Street this morning.

Deputy fire chief Jesse Oshell said the fire is under control, but there is more work to be completed. He asks that people avoid the area.


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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