York Regional Police are investigating a fire at an abandoned house on Bolton Avenue in Newmarket.
Central York Fire Services responded to the blaze at about 7:45 p.m. Friday, June 21 at a home at Bolton and Davis Drive, near Southlake Regional Health Centre, after a call about smoke coming from the second-floor window.
Crews entered the home to find multiple small fires in the interior and exterior of the house, and extinguished them without incident.
The fire service said police are investigating the incident.
Newmarket resident Chris Dupee, who runs Cadence Health & Wellness Inc. near the abandoned home, said people are regularly getting into the house.
“That place is a tinderbox, a tinderbox in terms of trouble,” Dupee said. “I'm ... just disappointed because we see a lot of (people going) in and out of there.”
The house is slated to be demolished as part of a proposed new development, an assisted living facility, along with neighbouring properties.
It is notorious for being the site where Newmarket teen Krista Borley died in a drug-related incident last year.
“Crews located multiple small fires on the interior and exterior of the house, which were quickly extinguished,” the fire department said. “A search was completed, and the house was found to be vacant.”
The street was closed for the response. The fire department deployed five fire trucks and one command vehicle to the scene.
CYFS said it worked with police, York Region Paramedic Services and utility companies during the call.
