Occupants of a North Shore apartment building are temporarily homeless after a fire just after midnight at the three-storey apartment building at 435 Cherry Avenue.
The fire broke out on the third floor, and there were calls of people being trapped according to Acting Platoon Capt. Ken Hartt.
“Crews used water to knock the fire down and then a second grew grabbed a ground ladder and rescued two people off the balcony,” he told NL News, adding another person also had to be rescued by a ladder crew.
Fortunately, it doesn’t appear anyone was hurt as a result of the blaze.
One lower-floor resident, who did not want to be named, spoke to NL News at the scene this morning, wearing just a hoodie, shorts and sandals with no socks. He says he was awoken by fire alarms and people shouting in the hallways before 12:30 a.m., noting he ran outside as quickly as he could.
Hartt says the apartment where the fire broke out was completely gutted and there was heavy smoke damage in two other units. Residents who didn’t have anywhere to go have been put in hotels.
The city’s Acting Social and Community Services Supervisor says at least 46 people have been connected with emergency services after they were displaced by the fire, though he expects that number to increase.
“When the team reaches out, accommodations are made available to them and in this case, its been in hotels,” Ty Helgason told NL News. “Whether they take those hotels or not is really up to them. If they have other people they can go stay with, then that is fine, they can still access other supports.”
Emergency Management BC is funding this temporary housing and meals for people displaced for up to three days.
“If they had good insurance or if they had any insurance at all, that can really impact what’s happening after three days,” Helgason added. “They can always connect with the Red Cross and we always bring in our non profit agencies like ASK Wellness and CMHA and we just try to ensure that those people are connected with all the resources available to them.”
Helgason says he is not sure when people will be able to begin returning home.
A cause of the fire is unclear. Fire investigators were on scene as of 9 a.m. to sift through damage in the building.
(Photo: Kamloops Fire and Rescue)
– with files from Victor Kaisar
Cherry Ave fire last night. pic.twitter.com/8HH2ZasKbU
— Kamloops Fire Rescue (@KamFire) January 19, 2021
.@KamFire fire investigators are now on scene of this morning’s apartment fire at 435 Cherry Ave on the North Shore. Residents were evacuated around midnight when the blaze broke out on the third floor. All residents are displaced for the time being. @RadioNLNews #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/1rEJG7mnUb
— Colton Davies (@ColtonDavies_) January 19, 2021
