Halifax fire displaces tenants from apartment

A central Halifax fire Wednesday night temporarily displaced a dozen people.

The fire at 1984 Connaught Ave. at around 8 p.m. Wednesday extensively damaged a small threestorey apartment building and then spread to an adjacent twostorey house.

Disaster volunteers with the Canadian Red Cross arranged emergency lodging for one of four tenants who rented rooms in the house, and are assessing emergency needs for at least two tenants from the seven-unit apartment building around the corner at 6618 Quinpool Rd.

The Canadian Red Cross says most tenants arranged to spend Wednesday night with relatives or friends.

Bystanders described an explosion at the rear of the apartment building and neighbours said they thought a barbecue or propane tank had gone up.

The back wall of the large three-storey home that had been divided into apartments was blackened and the siding was scorched by the fire before it was put out.

There appeared to be no structural damage and no damage to the front.

Around 8:30 p.m., neighbours were still watching as stinging smoke hung in the air and fire crews mopped up.

The fire on Connaught was one of two fires in Halifax on Wednesday evening as earlier, Halifax Fire was called to Ridgeway Towers in Cowie Hill to put out a fire on the third floor.

Crews arrived shortly after 6 p.m.

The building was evacuated, the fire was put out and smoke was cleared within an hour.

There were no injuries from either fire.