Barrie police say a fire last night at one of the city's most historic buildings could have been much worse, but fast-moving emergency services thwarted an alleged act of arson.
Just before 11 p.m. on Sunday, June 11, city police and firefighters responded to a report of a fire at 31 Bayfield St., the historic Simcoe Hotel at the Five Points intersection.
Upon arrival, police say a fire was located on the second flood and quickly extinguished by Barrie firefighters before it had the chance to spread to any of the upstairs apartments or the licensed establishment below.
“It was set in a second-floor washroom, which is more of a common area for those in the above apartments, but everyone was able to get out safely,” Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon said. "Credit to Barrie Fire, who were on the scene quickly to extinguish the fire and then used their big fans to clear any smoke out.”
Leon said Barrie Fire officials spotted a suspicious man leaving the building and provided a description to police. The suspect was quickly located on Dunlop Street and arrested without incident.
Tu’Won Greaves, 22, of no fixed address, has been charged with arson–disregard for human life. He was scheduled to have a bail hearing today by video at the Barrie courthouse. None of the allegations has been tested in court.
The iconic Simcoe Hotel has been a mainstay since the 1870s. The original hotel on the site was built in 1853. However, fire on a February night in 1876 destroyed it and the stable. The current structure, with its distinct flat-iron design, was built on the old foundation and opened in 1877.
Leon noted the building’s age and how Sunday night's fire could have been “much worse.”
“That's the old Simcoe Hotel, which has been there over a hundred years or so,” said Leon. “Had Barrie (firefighters) not gotten that under control as fast as they did, it could have been a very different outcome.”
