Third major fire in Sarnia this week leaves tenants displaced

Damage from the fire at 374 Wellington Street, Sarnia. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

A fire has displaced residents of a multi-unit century home in Sarnia.

The blaze, at 374 Wellington Street, broke out at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday.

"Yes, it was going pretty good. There were flames shooting out all the windows," stated Sarnia Fire Captain Mike Otis.

Three stations responded. Crews were able to contain the heaviest fire damage to the top floor.

This is the third fire in Sarnia in less than a week.

Each one has involved the rescue of pets, including the use of oxygen to save a dog.

Otis stated two cats escaped Wednesday's fire, with another located healthy by firefighters on Thursday morning.

He said this week's fires serve as a reminder to ensure your smoke detectors are working.

"It is extremely important to get out as quickly as possible,” said Otis.

“That's why we stress working smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside of your sleeping areas. They do save lives. And unfortunately, a lot of people are dying in fires because they do not have those working smoke alarms."

Otis said Victim Services and the Red Cross are assisting tenants with temporary accommodations.