Kitchen blaze leaves Welland man in serious condition

A Welland man is in serious condition following a kitchen fire Friday afternoon on Ontario Road.

Fire Chief Adam Eckhart said the man suffered smoke inhalation and was assessed and treated on scene by Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics before being transported to Welland hospital, just 600 metres down the road.

Welland Fire and Emergency Services, Niagara EMS and Niagara Regional Police were called to 87 Ontario Rd. at 4:21 p.m. The small, multi-unit apartment building sits 170 metres southwest of the King Street fire hall.

“Smoke was visible from the fire hall,” said Eckhart, who looked out his office window when the call first came in.

He said the fire was in one of the lower suites and the lone male resident was alerted by a working smoke alarm in his unit.

“Early notification means better conditions and a better chance of escaping a fire,” said Eckhart, stressing the importance of having working smoke alarms.

The resident exited the apartment under his own power.

Residents in other units also made their way out of the building under their own power and did not suffer any injuries. A dog was rescued from the apartment with the fire, the chief said.

“Two other units suffered damage from smoke and fire migration.”

Eckhart said it was the apartment directly above the blaze that sustained the fire damage.

The chief put total damage in the $80,000 range and said the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office had an investigator coming down to assist Welland fire prevention officers on scene.

Eckhart said the blaze is not suspicious, but the exact cause is not known at this time. Firefighters were on scene for just more than an hour.

The Niagara branch of Canadian Red Cross assisted in finding accommodations for four other residents from the apartment building displaced by the blaze. The building was secured by a boarding company overnight.