Updated July 5, 2024 @ 5:25pm
The Cookstown Plaza is closed following a fire on Friday at the Foodland grocery store.
Innisfil Fire Chief Brent Thomas in an email to Barrie 360 said a store employee arriving for work opened the door and noticed smoke, then called 911.
First responders were alerted around 6 a.m., and Thomas noted the fire was knocked down fairly quickly.
"It was a deep-seated fire and a big building with lots of smoke," he said.
The loss to the building alone is $3.5 million and the Ontario Fire Marshal was alerted, though the blaze is not considered suspicious.
"The entire plaza is closed as there was smoke mitigation into all of the units," Thomas said. "Structurally, the building will have to be evaluated which is anticipated early next week."
He said there was a lot of food loss and contents spoiled.
Thomas did not disclose a cause of the fire.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury but no medical treatment was required.
