WELLINGTON, P.E.I. -- A fire inside a seniors home in western P.E.I. forced 47 residents from the building on Monday night. There were no reports of serious injuries.

Desmond Arsenault, spokesman for the Wellington Fire Department, says soon after the fire was reported at 9:40 p.m. at the Chez Nous long-term care facility, firefighters, police and many local residents arrived at the scene to help residents evacuated from the building.

"There were neighbours and family members, and even my wife came out and helped," Arsenault said Tuesday. "Even some of the staff who weren't on duty were showing up to help co-ordinate this whole scenario."

Arsenault said many of the residents were frightened and confused as they were led outside, some of them dressed in their nightclothes.

"It was unnerving to see this unfold, to see the fear in their eyes," he said. "They were just woken from their sleep and they were startled."

At the time, the temperature was hovering around the freezing mark.

"They were shuffling as fast as they could," Arsenault said. "They're weren't sure where to go or what to do."

The residents were quickly loaded into private vehicles, police cars, ambulances and eight school buses before being shuttled to the nearby Royal Canadian Legion.

Firefighters from Miscouche, Tyne Valley and New London were called in to fight the fire, which caused extensive smoke damage. The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Canadian Red Cross volunteers loaned many of the residents wheelchairs, walkers, canes and other mobility and safety devices that had to be left behind in the evacuation.

The residents were eventually taken to a hotel in Woodstock, P.E.I.

P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, says residents in the home were scheduled to receive their COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday. That plan has now been postponed.

"It's been very traumatic for the residents and staff, what they've been through, and we are discussing with them whether we should go tomorrow or the next day or another day this week," said Morrison.

"So, they will be done and it's just a matter of organizing another date later this week."

With files from The Canadian Press.