A Barrie senior has been charged with arson in connection to a fire last night at a retirement and long-term care centre.

Barrie firefighters were called to Woods Park Care Centre on Wednesday, at around 6:40 p.m. after a fire broke out in a resident’s rooms.

Crews were able to extinguish the flames quickly, but not before it caused significant damage to the room and nearby units.

"One unit has a significant amount of damage, units directly adjacent to that one and below have some smoke and water damage as well, but most of the residents on the north wing will not be able to return to their rooms tonight," said deputy chief Cory Mainprize.

Residents were evacuated to a safe part of the building, while crews dealt with the fire. A total of 12 residents were displaced and were relocated to other rooms for the night.

"Without the smoke alarms and the suppression systems it could have been far worse," says Chris Ter Stege, an investigators with the Ontario's Fire Marshal's Office.

A 79-year-old man was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. He has since been charged with arson with disregard for human life and arson with damage to property.

The accused will appear in court by video at a future date.