Early morning fire sends one to hospital

The cause of an early Sunday morning apartment fire that sent one person to hospital is under investigation by St. Catharines Fire and Emergency Services and the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal.

Firefighters responded to reports of a kitchen fire in the main floor unit at 108 Lowell Ave. at 6:22 a.m. Deputy fire Chief Frank Biancucci said the fire was small but filled the unit with smoke. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, limiting damage to the apartment.

The lone resident escaped the fire but was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and taken to hospital.

The fire caused an estimated $15,000 in damage.

The investigation into the fire determined the apartment’s smoke alarm was not working at the time of the fire.

The Ontario Fire Code requires all homes have working smoke alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas and also requires a working carbon monoxide alarm as applicable.

“We are urging residents to stay fire-safe over the holidays by ensuring their homes have working smoke alarms and working carbon monoxide alarms and by practicing a home escape plan with two ways out of every room,” said Biancucci.

As part of St. Catharines Fire and Emergency Service’s Alarmed for Life awareness program, firefighters again started going door-to-door on Saturday to discuss fire safety, offer home safety checks and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms and will continue to do so the next two Saturday afternoons.