Two people rescued from building fire
A fire that sent one person to the hospital and caused $500,000 damage to a multi-residential apartment building on Welland’s King Street Wednesday morning is under investigation by three agencies.
Welland Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Chief Adam Eckhart said the Office of the Fire Marshal investigators and Niagara Regional Police are working with Welland fire prevention officers to determine the cause of the blaze at 683 King St. near the intersection of Ontario Road.
Fire Chief Brian Kennedy said the person taken to hospital by Niagara Emergency Medical Services was admitted for smoke inhalation. Firefighters were called to the building, just more than 100 metres from the King Street fire hall, shortly after 4:30 a.m. and rescued two of its eight residents. “Two residents were removed by ladder from second-floor windows of their apartments,” said Eckhart.
Eighteen career and volunteer firefighters and five trucks fought the blaze as the displaced residents stood across the street by the Blue Star Restaurant.
“Due to the age of the building, we have been monitoring it ... our fire prevention team has been working heavily with the owner, who has been maintaining it to current fire codes.”
Eckhart said an alarm system alerted residents to the fire, believed to have started on the north side exterior before spreading inside. One of the fire alarms inside the building could still be heard beeping away late Wednesday afternoon
“With years of renovations inside there are many voids in the building.”
As the fire went on, flames could be seen coming from the attic as an aerial truck and firefighters on the ground doused the roof. Shingles and pieces of the roof were blown off by the force of the water as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
A chimney collapsed into the attic about two and a half hours into the fire and much of the roof was gone.
Kennedy said Welland Transit brought in a bus to shelter residents at the scene and added the Niagara branch of Canadian Red Cross would be looking at alternative housing for them.
“We conducted COVID-19 screening on all residents before transporting them from the area,” he said.
In May 2017, firefighters were called to 675 King St., a five-unit apartment building next to 683 King St. At the time, firefighters had to evacuate residents from 683 King St. due to the fire next door and the heavy smoke it generated. Eckhart said the area would be closed to traffic Wednesday and Thursday for the investigation and residents were asked to avoid the area.