DIEPPE, N.B. -- Josh Malenfant and two friends moved into a Dieppe apartment four months ago. Last Saturday, while he was in Halifax, his roommates called to tell him the building was on fire.

“My roommate called the police and my other roommate pulled the fire alarm,” says Malenfant.

Malenfant’s unit was on the second floor, right below where the fire was raging. Despite the close proximity to the flames, most of the damage came from water.

Tenants were able to enter the apartment building on Wednesday. Malenfant says most of their belongings were in good condition, but there was something missing.

“When I came back to the apartment to grab my things, my guitars were gone. Both of my guitars. So there was an Ibanez hardcore and a Fender Stratocaster that was stolen, they were the only items stolen,” he says.

Codiac RCMP confirm they are looking into a report of theft from the building.

The day after the fire, a security company was hired to provide a 24-hour watch outside the building.

“Our role here is to monitor who goes inside during the day and to make sure no one is to go in at all at night,” says Melanie Ouellette, manager of the security company.

Still, someone managed to walk away with Malenfant’s instruments.

“When it comes to a musician and his guitar, it’s like an extension of his body. One of those guitars I’ve had for over 10 years and that was a present from my father, so that was kind of hard to come to terms with,” says Malenfant.

Malenfant says there is a tight knit community of musicians in Moncton and they’re all keeping an eye out for his stolen guitars, but he’s not optimistic that he’ll get them back.

“I’m just hoping to find out where my guitars are or who took them, which might not even happen but, in the end, as long as everybody in the apartment was ok, that’s all that matters really,” he says.