St. Patrick’s day celebrations got out of hand in London, Ont., as hundreds of revellers spent much of the night fuelling a large street fire and attacking authorities who tried to intervene.
The trouble began Saturday night on Fleming Drive in the city’s east end near Fanshawe College – an area heavily populated by students that has been the site of previous disturbances.
District Fire Chief Jim Holmes says crews were called to the scene after partiers flipped over a CTV News van and set it on fire.
He says members of the crowd threw rocks and bottles at firefighters who got to the scene just before the burning vehicle exploded.
A few partiers were hurt by the flames and Chief Holmes says they were treated for burns but their injuries were “nothing too serious.”
The crowd then kept fuelling the fire with bottles of alcohol, fences ripped from neighbourhood homes, furniture, mattresses and even a large television from someone’s basement.
Crews trying to douse the flames were driven back by the crowd and Chief Holmes says authorities – some 50 police in riot gear and 10 firefighters – decided to stand back to avoid escalating the situation.
He says the situation was “pretty tense” at points.
Authorities eventually moved in just after 4 a.m. when the crowd had thinned out.
Constable Krissy Belanger says 11 people have been arrested and 17 police vehicles were damaged from last night's activities.
