Fatal Fire in St. Thomas
St. Thomas Fire officials have confirmed one person has died after a fire near the downtown core.
The blaze in a six-unit apartment building at 17 Mitchell St. broke out around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Most residents were alerted by smoke alarms and exited as firefighters arrived.
However, one person inside a heavily damaged upper-floor unit remained inside as firefighters rushed in.
“Once they entered the apartment, they did find the one resident in the apartment deceased,” stated Kim Destun, the chief fire prevention officer with St. Thomas fire.
The resident was rushed to the hospital in an attempt to save their life.
No name has been released.
A dozen residents have been displaced. Many are temporarily staying at a local hotel.
Karen Berger is one resident who said she feels fortunate to have escaped the fire.
Returning with her son Nicholas to collect some belongings, she recalled the moment the blaze began and said Nicholas was at work when she was startled about 4:30 p.m.
“Well, I heard a big noise then I heard the alarms going off. Then I checked into the hallway and it was full of smoke and I got out right away,” said Berger.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office is expected on the scene Friday.
The blaze is not considered suspicious.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.