Fire in Petrolia, Ont. displaces residents
An early morning fire on Greenfield Street in Petrolia caused residents to scramble to safety Friday morning.
“Everybody was running around trying to get out of the apartment to get saved and it was chaos,” said Chris Preston, who lives in one of the apartments.
According to Fire Chief Jay Arns, the blaze started outside the building on the lower level of the two story walk-up.
“Crews arrived on scene and we had a fully involved porch area. A couple of storage rooms and some equipment that was on fire. So, quick knock down, the crews made entry right away,” he said.
The building is a community housing residence owned by Lambton County, and many of the residents were alarmed.
“As I was coming out [of the] apartment, the whole place inside was all smoky and you couldn’t really see, so I don't know exactly how it started, I didn't hear nothing or see anything or smell anything unusual. Just, it was all chaos. It was pretty, pretty scary,” Preston said.
Some elderly people on the second floor needed assistance to evacuate, according to Arns.
“We had to rescue…two people trapped on balconies. So we laddered the buildings and rescued the two people from the balconies and a large number of pets that were still inside the building,” he said.
Following the evacuation, residents were moved to the Greenwood Recreation Centre where they have been cared for since. Now, Lambton County Housing Services is hopeful that residents will be able to return to their apartments by the end of the day.
“I just did an air quality run through the building and we've got good readings all throughout. So yeah, residents will be able to get back in and now it's up to the cleanup crews to get some cleanup done. But because there was no apartments directly affected, then it should be a little bit quicker getting them back in,” said Arns.
The residents that have been displaced are just grateful no one was injured and they will be able to return to their homes soon.
“I’m so thankful for all the helpers and the fire people they really did an excellent job last night they worked hard and saving everybody,” Preston said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and a damage estimate has not been assessed yet.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.