An overnight fire destroyed a home in London's south end, a week after it was searched by the Ontario Provincial Police and just hours after officials said they'd shut down a massive illegal gambling operation linked to the Hell's Angels.

The fire on Commissioners Road started just before 11 p.m. Thursday, said London Fire Department platoon chief Colin Shewell.

"It was through the roof, with lots of fire at the back of the structure," said Shewell.

On Dec. 12, the home at 203 Commissioners Road was searched by officers, OPP confirmed, as part of Project Hobart, a massive investigation that involved 18 agencies and police services across the province.

Illegal gambling, biker gangs

The home was fully engulfed when fire crews arrived, Shewell said.

"Our crews arrived quite quickly and determined we would have to do a defensive attack. We were able to contain it quite quickly, in just a bit over an hour," he said.

"I'd say it will be a tear-down. I'm guessing it's worth over a million dollars."

On Thursday, OPP held a news conference announcing that dozens of suspects are facing hundreds of charges, the culmination of a nearly two-year-long investigation centred on an alleged gambling ring fun by current or prospective members of the Hell's Angels biker gang.

Multiple fire crews working a defensive attack with aerial operations and multiple hand lines at a large residential fire on Commissioners Rd E and Road is closed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lndont?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lndont</a> ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/lpsmediaoffice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lpsmediaoffice</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/La2H4c6Wpd">pic.twitter.com/La2H4c6Wpd</a> —@LdnOntFire

Project Hobart was launched in January 2018 in response to a spike in violence across Ontario and Quebec, police said.

Police eventually zeroed in on five allegedly illegal gaming sites run by known members of the Hell's Angels.

Investigators allege the sites brought in a total of $13 million from January to July of this year alone, noting they likely raked in gross profits of $131 million over the past five years.

London police are holding the fire scene and the Ontario Fire Marshal has been contacted. The fire is considered suspicious, officials have said.