Fire destroys Saint John building, forces residents from their homes

The Red Cross says more than a dozen people were forced from their homes overnight due to a fire in Saint John.

The organization says the fire destroyed a vacant two-storey home on Lancaster Avenue and caused damage to buildings on either side, including a duplex and a two-storey building containing three apartments.

The fire, which was reported around 1 a.m., also forced the precautionary evacuation of at least one person from a building on Charlotte Street West.

No one was injured.

The Red Cross is providing emergency help for seven adults and five children from the affected buildings, ranging from temporary lodging to food and clothing. Some people have arranged to stay with family and friends, while a thirteenth person is receiving emergency help from another agency.

Some tenants have made their own arrangements for temporary places to stay.

This is the second major fire on Saint John’s west side in less than 24 hours. The Red Cross says a house fire a few blocks away on St. James Street West claimed the life of a man in his 50s and displaced five other tenants on Monday.

The cause of both fires remains under investigation.