Nursing home fire ruled accidental

The fire that displaced nearly 50 seniors from a facility in Wellington on Jan. 18 has been ruled an accident.

The Provincial Fire Marshal’s Office has concluded its investigation into the fire at Le Chez Nous Co-operative care home.

The office released a statement Friday which said the fire was caused by a fault in electrical circuitry from the original structure. The fire began in a basement crawl space off the furnace room.

Staff from the Fire Marshal's Office, as well as investigators from the insurance company, a propane expert, provincial electrical inspectors and an electrical engineer from Halifax, were all part of the investigation.

The fire marshal commends the quick action taken by staff that activated the fire and evacuation plan, as well as the Wellington fire department and neighbouring fire departments in assisting in the evacuation and quick suppression of the fire.

On Friday, the Évangéline-Central Credit Union also noted the dedication of Chez Nous staff, whose work routines and location have been interrupted by the fire. The credit union has provided a $100 Esso gas card to each employee to help compensate for their additional mileage and travel time since most of the residents are now lodged at Mill River Resort in Woodstock

“The staff really came through and were all team players. The extra effort is really appreciated,” said Angèle Arsenault, board member of Le Chez-Nous.