Fire displaces residents of historic Truro building

Fire evacuates historic Truro building A fire in an historic Truro, N.S. apartment building displaces at least 19 people. Sarah Plowman reports.

HALIFAX — The fire department in Truro is investigating what caused a blaze in a historic building on Saturday.

Officials say the fire broke out around 4 p.m. on Saturday at the three storey building on the corner of Queen Street and Normandy Avenue, known as the Cedars.

The 16-unit apartment complex was evacuated, and at least 19 people are being helped by the Red Cross.

When the fire alarm rang out, tenants took notice.

“About three or four people came out of the emergency exit screaming fire, and five of us called the police,” says tenant Michele O’Brien.

O’Brien and others rushed to the suite where smoke was coming from.

“So we could see if there was someone in there, or animals or something, and a plume of smoke and fire came at us, you couldn’t even see in the room,” says O’Brien.

Others went door to door to alert their neighbours.

“Just making sure everybody was out,” says tenant Jonah Treadwell.

Across the street, neighbour Jeff Higgins put his pet pigs in his barn.

“Because there was so much noise and distraction on the street,” says Higgins.

It was a fast, quick knock down, fast response,” says Josh Chisling, fire prevention officer with the Truro Fire Department.

Chisling describes the fire as small, and says crews contained it to one apartment.

Welcome news for many because of the building’s history.

The 130-year-old building is known for its Queen Anne style architecture and role as a maternity annex of Truro's former hospital for a period of time up to 1950.

“One of the interesting points is this fire was contained in the unit probably in relation to the fact that it was an older building with solid doors, and Latham plaster, and it contained it to just the one room,” says Chisling.

No one was injured, but Truro Fire says about 32 people were displaced.

The Red Cross has covered the cost of hotels, but tenants like O’Brien and Treadwell are anxious to get home.

“Maybe get some of my clothes, my meds. None of us could grab anything when we left. We’re all just kind of sitting and waiting now,” says O’Brien.

“It’s our hope people can get back in tonight,” says Chisling.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.