Electrical failure caused fire

The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal has determined that the cause of the fire at the downtown Windsor highrise building Westcourt Place was accidental, caused by an electrical failure in the building’s parking garage.

The news came in a tweet from the Windsor Fire and Rescue Service late Friday afternoon, but no damage estimate has been determined. The building has running water and limited electricity — but there is still no date on when its many tenants can return. Efforts to make the 21-storey structure habitable continue, more than 10 days after a fire in its parking garage forced an evacuation of all its occupants.

Property manager Vickie Heyden said Friday at least 60 people — cleaners, electricians, elevator technicians and more — have been busy with repairs, which will continue through the weekend.

“As of right now, we are removing ceiling tiles in the residential side,” said Heyden. “We just want to make sure the smoke and smell have cleared.”

Heyden said the electricity is running in common areas, but power is still shut off for individual units.

Asked when she expects tenants will be allowed back, Heyden said she still can’t give a date. “We don’t know. But it’s starting to look really positive.”

“Right now, my priority is getting everyone home and back in their offices,” Heyden said.

The fire on the morning of Nov. 12 destroyed seven vehicles in the building ’s lower level parking garage. The tenants of 164 residential units and 30 commercial units, including provincial courtrooms, were evacuated.

A $35-million class-action lawsuit has been launched against the building’s owners.

On Saturday, Strosberg Sasso Sutts LLP will hold an information session at 10 a.m. at All Saints’ Anglican Church, 330 City Hall Square West., for affected tenants wishing to become involved in the lawsuit