Dozens of people have been displaced after fire tore through a Barrie apartment building on Monday night.
Large flames covered the roof of the three-storey Little Avenue building, lighting up the night sky as people fled their homes. Emergency crews arrived on scene just before 10 p.m.
As many as 70 residents, including seniors and children, were able to escape without injury. Many took shelter at the Allandale Recreation Complex and on City of Barrie buses.
A Barrie firefighter was taken to hospital as a precaution, but has since been released.
The fire is believed to have started in the bedroom of a third floor unit or in the attic. The exact cause of the fire may never be known, but it is not considered suspicious.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office has been contacted and will aid in the investigation.
Officials say the third floor of the apartment building was destroyed. The first and second floors sustained significant damage.
Investigators are pegging damage to the building at $2.5 million.
A Barrie fire spokesperson says some tenants have rental insurance, but fears some may have nothing.
Local musician Thomas Messenger lives in the building. He may have lost his 12 guitars, which were his most prized possessions.
"That was my key to therapy. For me it was being able to create, so I'm hoping we can salvage just one guitar."
For now, the building's residents are staying at a hotel nearby.
"We all look out for each other, and our kids and our dogs. There was a lot of hugging, a lot of hugging."
Firefighters went unit to unit this morning looking for pets which residents had no choice but to leave behind last night. 7 cats and 2 birds found alive and reunited with their owners. pic.twitter.com/qxgdQEAmSo
— Beatrice Vaisman (@BeatriceVaisman) April 24, 2018
People looking to help can donate new or gently used items at Barrie’s city hall until Friday. Mayor Jeff Lehman says the city will work with the Barrie Housing Corporation to distribute items.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up for those wanting to make a monetary donation.
This is the second fire to happen in this block of community housing in the last two weeks.
Thirty three tenants were forced to flee their homes on April 6. The fire started near a balcony on the second floor. The exact cause is still under investigation.
