Arson suspected in Kanata strip mall fire

A fire that caused millions of dollars in damage to aKanatastrip mall early Tuesday morning is being investigated as an arson, Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) said.

According to OFS, someone called911 around 3:31 a.m. to report heavy black smoke coming from471 Hazeldean Rd. Emergency crews arrived around 3:45 a.m., OFS said.

A second alarm was called at 3:57 a.m., summoning more firefightersto the scene. No one was injured.

The strip mall contains about 15 businessesincluding a Chinese restaurant, a produce store, a wine shop, a pizzeria and a butcher.

Fire spread through the walls and roofs of four units, but firefighters were able to contain the flames before they could spread to other businesses. Two searches turned up no occupants, OFS said.

"The incident has displaced many businesses, and the damage caused by the fire is estimated in the millions of dollars," according to a news release from Ottawa police Tuesday afternoon.

Their arsonunit is now investigating the fire and is askingthe public for any video footage of "suspiciousactivity" in the area of Castlefrank and Hazeldeanroadsbetween 1:30 and 3:30 a.m.