Cafe Fire Investigation Continues (GALLERY)

Damage is extensive in a suspicious fire at Masaya Cafe & Lounge on Erie St. in Windsor.

The Windsor police arson unit is looking into what caused $500,000 in damage.

Windsor Fire Deputy Chief Brian McLaughlin says the Ontario Fire Marshal will be on scene this afternoon to determine a cause, but the investigation could take awhile. "It appears that a portion of the roof has collapsed. So until we get an engineer to actually assess the structural stability of the structure itself, we can't continue our investigation."

Six apartments are situated above the cafe, and tenants say this isn't the first problem they've dealt with while living there. "I moved in (last) July," explains one female tenant. "Two weeks later, there were bed bugs there, so I left. Then, I came back in September and there was no heat, so I left. And then December 5, I came back and I was here maybe five or six days -- the pipes broke."

McLaughlin says neighbouring restaurant Zingara may have also suffered some water damage in the blaze.

Power was knocked out to 2,600 homes in the early hours of the morning, but has since been restored.

Windsor fire crews outside building in the 700-block of Erie St. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)

Fire damage to the rear of a building in the 700-block of Erie. St. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)

Windsor fire crews outside building in the 700-block of Erie St. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)

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