BIBLE HILL, N.S. – Billows of black smoke filled the midday sky over a burning apartment building Friday in Bible Hill.
At 12:35 p.m., Bible Hill RCMP and fire services responded to a structure fire on Brooklyn Drive, off Vimy Road.
The roof of a 12-unit apartment building at a Wallace Living complex, was engulfed in flames when they arrived.
Cpl. Rodney Peterson of Bible Hill RCMP said there didn’t appear to be any injuries as a result of the blaze.
“After the fact, there was one gentlemen who was taken to the hospital after complaining about chest pains,” he said. “Now I don’t know if it was directly related to the fire, but he was under some stress so it could be.”
There were 17 tenants of the building forced to find alternate accommodations. Red Cross workers had arrived and were helping those in need. Groups of people could be seen consoling distraught tenants.
By mid-afternoon, firefighters were able to enter the building to spray down hotspots and examine the extent of damage.
“At this point we haven’t heard anything yet on a cause,” said Peterson.
He said the fire marshal had been called and was expected to be on scene into the evening.
While he couldn’t assess whether the building was considered a total loss, Peterson noted the roof had collapsed in on the top floor.
“There doesn’t appear to be any damage to the surrounding buildings,” he said.
“It looks like there is four or five buildings in that area, but the damage was just limited to the one building.”
Neighbour alerted tenants to danger
TRURO, N.S. – Kelly Smith was just leaving her apartment building Friday when the smell of smoke overcame her.
The top floor of an adjacent building on Brooklyn Drive, off Vimy Road, was engulfed in flames.
“There was this huge, billowing, steamrolling smoke pouring out of the roof,” Smith said.
She ran to the entrance of the building, anxious to help if she could.
“I just felt so helpless, in that moment the only wish I had in the world was to have a hose,” she said.
Smith helped an elderly woman and her family out of the building before going back inside, banging on doors and yelling to alert tenants of the danger.
“I was hysterical, I really was,” she said.
Once all residents had filed out of the building Smith turned her attention to other lives still in danger. Three cats living in a bottom floor apartment had been too frightened to leave with their owner and remained in the burning building. Smith knew they would die from smoke inhalation if they didn’t get fresh air.
“I knew I couldn’t break a window myself because a baseball bat wouldn't do it and I would probably get hurt by glass, so I called over a police officer and he smashed the window for them,” she said.
It wasn’t known Friday afternoon if the cats had survived.
Police and fire officials arrived shortly after residents had fled the building.
“Thank God for fire departments; everyone was so great. The police and firefighters got here so fast,” said Smith.
“I tried to do everything. I mean, I’ve never been confronted with anything like that before,” she said. “People didn’t even know the place was on fire.”
– Ben Forrester
