At least 22 people without a home after apartment buildings burn in Saint John

No injuries are being reported from a significant structure fire in Saint John, N.B., that displaced at least 22 people just two days before Christmas.

It began late Friday morning in a three-storey apartment building on Waterloo Street, before spreading to two other adjacent apartment buildings.

The Canadian Red Cross says at least 14 people from seven apartment units are receiving emergency accommodations. Residents in nearby buildings were also evacuated Friday afternoon, as thick dark smoke covered the city’s Haymarket Square area.

Thomas Daly lives in one of the burned buildings and was inside when the fire began. Daly says he heard a “bang” before realizing what was going on.

“I screamed ‘fire’ and we started beating on doors to get people out,” says Daly, who fears his cat may have been lost.

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.

“I’ve lost everything. I have the clothes on my back. My wife has pajamas on her back and that’s it,” says Daly. “So (we’re) starting all over again and it’s really hard. It’s heartbreaking. I don’t know whether to cry. I don’t know what to do.”

Gusty winds made fighting the fire a challenge.

“Once we opened up some of the walls (the wind) started pushing the fire and actually made it a lot worse,” says Saint John Fire Department Platoon Chief Ed Moyer.

Emergency crews are expecting to be remain on the scene throughout Friday evening.