A historic and long-abandoned home in the downtown core opposite Allan Gardens was severely damaged by a fire deemed suspicious Sunday evening.

Firefighters were called to the building at 314 Jarvis St., just south of Carlton St., shortly before midnight to battle the two-alarm blaze.

The fire was fully extinguished as of Monday afternoon and an investigation into its cause is ongoing, said Toronto Fire Capt. David Eckerman.

One firefighter received a minor injury, Eckerman said, but there were no reports of serious injuries.

The fire is being treated as suspicious, Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg confirmed.

The house has been the site of several fires in recent years.

Toronto Fire inspected the property in July and confirmed the building was properly secured at the time, Pegg said.

The fire prompted the temporary evacuations of the nearby Parkside Residence, which is home to students from the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, and the Ramada Plaza. The occupants of those buildings were later able to return.

The house where the fire occurred is a Beaux Arts heritage building known as the Sheard Mansion. According to a 2012 city report, it was built as a residence in 1865.

It was altered in 1901 for Dr. Charles Sheard, Toronto’s first chief medical officer and a Conservative MP. He was known as an aggressive advocate for vaccinating children against smallpox. His brother was a prominent architect and their father, Joseph Sheard, served as mayor of Toronto in the early 1870s.

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With files from Sherina HarrisIlya Bañares is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @ilyaoverseas

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