Fire at Nanaimo, B.C., supportive housing displaces more than 50 people
More than 50 people from a supportive-housing complex in Nanaimo, B.C., have been displaced after a fire in a mattress that was started by a cigarette.
Troy Libbus, Nanaimo Fire Rescue's assistant chief, says their crew responded to an alarm Sunday at Samaritan Place, a supportive-housing complex that has 51 units.
He says no one was hurt, as firefighters were able to fight the blaze and evacuate residents at the same time, thanks to the building’s sprinkler system that helped suppress the fire.
Libbus says a resident of the building later admitted to police that they were smoking in their room and the mattress caught fire.
Corrie Corfield with the Island Crisis Care Society, which operates the complex, says they brought in food and clothing for the residents because many of them left with nothing more than the pyjamas they were wearing.
Corfield says they have found temporary housing for most of the 57 people who were forced out, including placing 10 people who have mobility or health issues in a motel.
“So, that's one of the challenges in this whole situation, is a lot of the people who rely on that building and who live there have significant health challenges, and maybe seniors, or (they) may be coping with all sorts of health situations,” said Corfield.
She says all systems are back up in the building and they'll be able to move some residents back to their units on the building's fourth floor, which was not damaged by fire or water.
“It was a challenging day, but everyone really banded together and had a good attitude about things,” Corfield said of Sunday's fire.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran, escalating Mideast wars
Israel launched airstrikes early Saturday on what it described as military targets in Iran in retaliation for a ballistic missile assault Oct. 1, officials said. There was no immediate information on damage in the Islamic Republic.
DEVELOPING Scotiabank confirms outage for mobile, online banking
Scotiabank has confirmed outages affecting mobile and online banking services, according to a statement published to its X account.
'I did everything I could': Canada Post driver recounts helping save woman from fiery Tesla crash
Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant in New York City has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbours who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine.
Climate change breaks heat records across Canada this summer
Human-caused climate change made almost all of Canada’s heat waves hotter and more likely, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in an announcement Friday.
Mother who beat and starved her 5-year-old son to death sentenced to over 50 years in prison
A New Hampshire woman was sentenced Friday to 53 years to life in prison in the death of her 5-year-old son, who was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs before his 19-pound body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
'Get away from your inner circle': Liberal MP 'shocked' PM didn't take more time to reflect on calls to resign
Longtime Liberal MP Wayne Long says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should give more weight to the views of his backbenchers in determining his future leading the Party, rather than relying on those in his immediate orbit.
Mom and child jumped from a window to escape a Las Vegas fire that killed 2 children and 2 adults
Two adults and two children were found dead in the charred rubble of a house fire after a mother and another child jumped from a third-floor window to escape flames in a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood, authorities said.
Russian actors made fake video depicting mail-in ballots for Trump being destroyed, FBI says
Russian actors made a widely circulated video falsely depicting mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, U.S. officials said Friday.