An early-morning kitchen fire severely damaged a duplex in Moncton on Sunday, displacing one resident. It was one of three fires across New Brunswick over Saturday night and Sunday morning that has New Brunswick fire officials warning of the importance of fire safety.
A passerby noticed the flames coming from the Moncton duplex just after 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Within minutes, 14 firefighters were on scene.
"Almost zero visibility; they couldn't see where they were going, so they knocked a few windows out so they could find their way around. No one was home at the time, the top floor apartment was vacant, the main floor apartment, the gentleman was out of the country," says Moncton fire investigator Steve Richardson.
One person was staying on the premises while the owner is on vacation. The Red Cross will be providing assistance for the next three days.
"We'll help with emergency lodging if they don't have a place to stay with friends or family, emergency clothing, because people usually tend to run out with just the clothes on their back. This guy happened to be able to grab a backpack, but not pack any clothes or anything," says Jacqueline Dallaire, a volunteer with the Red Cross.
It took fire crews about an hour to knockdown the flames and pinpoint the source of the blaze; inside the kitchen in the building's main floor apartment.
"Most of it will be torn out from the water damage and smoke damage. The upper level has minor damage, there's water damage in the basement. It shouldn't be too bad, not a tear down by any stretch, but the kitchen will definitely have to be redone," says Richardson.
The fire has been deemed not suspicious, but the investigators work isn't finished yet. They'll take the stove apart to look for potential malfunctions and potential recalls.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, firefighters are still seeing a frustrating amount of kitchen fires year-round.
"Older houses, the kitchens aren't designed the same. A lot of stuff is close together, people put other appliances, toasters and such on stovetops and that can cause problems. We just encourage people to be very careful around the stove, think about what you're doing and make sure everything is turned off," says Richardson.
The fire in Moncton was one of three fires to displace New Brunswickers over a 12-hour span from Saturday night, into Sunday morning.
Three people were left homeless after fire ripped through a two-storey house in Saint Stephen, New Brunswick.
The fire broke out around 5 a.m. on Porter St. in Saint Stephen.
One man was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. The Red Cross says the home was extensively damaged, and they are helping two women with emergency lodging, clothing and food.
Two adults near Chipman, New Brunswick were forced from a burning house. There is no word on the cause or extent of the damage yet.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Cami Kepke.
