Fire displaces 21 people from Doaktown, N.B., motel turned long-term housing

A fire destroyed a motel in Doaktown, N.B.

A fire has displaced 21 people at a Doaktown, N.B., motel that served as long-term housing in the community.

The fire at Taylor’s Motel was first reported early Wednesday morning around 2:30 a.m., spreading quickly and destroying most of the building.

“Everybody got out thanks to a young woman working,” said Doaktown Mayor Carl Price. “She came in around the time the fire started smoking. (She) woke everybody up and got everybody out.”

All 21 people in the building escaped without injury.

“They’re very lucky she came home when she did because that’s an older building, it went fast” said Price, who also credited local firefighters from Doaktown and the Rural Community of Upper Miramichi for getting the fire under control. “The flames were shooting sky high.”

An official cause for what started the fire has yet to be announced.

Almost all the people displaced from the building were long-term tenants. The Canadian Red Cross tells CTV News Atlantic it’s assisting 10 households and that everybody has accommodations for now.

Some of the displaced are children, including a family of five people.

Price, who was elected mayor a few weeks ago, said housing shortages have already been a large concern in the area.

“Everything is going to be affected here for some time,” said Price.

The Red Cross said it would continue to work with the community on fire relief as the situation evolves.

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