A popular Windsor restaurant has gone up in flames just days after the owner complained about repeated break-ins.
When firefighters arrived at Milos Greek Grill around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, the front of the building was fully engulfed.
The restaurant is on Wyandotte Street East between Windemere Road and Devonshire Road.
(Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
No one was hurt, and the fire was out an hour later, but the damage to the building is severe. Fire Prevention Officer Dave O'Neil had previously told WindsorNewsToday.ca that the total could be more than $1.5-million. Windsor police updated that estimate to $2-million Thursday afternoon.
Tom Sotiradis wrote on Facebook four days before the fire that there had been four break-ins at the restaurant in the past eight weeks.
"Let's not forget we found a 357 Magnum on our property, and our patio cover was cut, so four guys could sleep on our patio with sleeping bags," read Sotiradis's post. "They took time to light a fire in our wood-burning fireplace to stay warm and comfortable."
Windsor police did confirm Thursday afternoon that they had been made aware of break-ins at the restaurant, with the most recent one being this past weekend. Nothing was stolen in that incident, according to Constable Bianca Jackson.
O'Neil said the fire is under investigation, and the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified.
The fire shut down Wyandotte Street East between Devonshire Road and Windemere. It reopened just before 9 a.m.
Windsor police are asking anyone who saw anything unusual in the area around 4 a.m. Thursday, or with security or dashcam footage to share, to call its Arson Unit at (519) 255-6700, ext. 4330. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (519) 258-TIPS (8477).