Dog dead, person injured, 4 displaced after a pair of fires in east London

A dog is dead, four people were displaced and another person was injured after two fires at London residences within two blocks of each other Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters responded to a blaze at a multi-unit building at 275 William St., just south of Horton Street, shortly after 1 p.m. ET.

Red Cross was called in to help four residents who were not able to return to their units, but no injuries were reported. Firefighters rescued one dog, while another was found dead inside the building.

"At this point, the cause and origin of this fire has not been defined," said Platoon Chief Gary Mosburger. "We do have a lot of police services assisting us with holding the scene until a fire investigator is available to work out the cause."

Damage is estimate to be upwards of $800,000, according to the London Fire Department.

A second fire broke out around 4:30 p.m. at 654 King St., just two blocks south of the first fire.

Crews were alerted with multiple 911 calls reporting people inside, and were able to quickly extinguish the fire.

"We did rescue one individual from the premise as a result of this fire. They were transported to hospital," said Mosburger, noting crews advanced quickly to do what they could to rescue the people involved.

Investigators have been called in to determine the cause of the fires. Mosburger said it's too early to tell if there is a connection between the two fires.

"It's been a very busy day for the London Fire Department and our crews ensuring the safety of the citizens," said Mosburger. "I couldn't be more proud."