HALIFAX -- Nine university students have been displaced by fire at an apartment in Sackville, N.B.
Sackville Fire Chief Craig Bowser says crews responded to the fire on Bridge Street just before 9 p.m. Tuesday.
When firefighters arrived, the back of the building was engulfed in smoke and heavy flames.
Fifty firefighters from four different departments managed to bring the fire control around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"They had to go through the roof to get to the fire so that took off the roof which obviously damaged the building as well," said Sugee MacKay, a Mount Allison student from Dartmouth, N.S.
Sam Chambre was in the building when a neighbour knocked on his door and told him to get out. He and his two roommates grabbed their laptops and left.
"We could see embers above us and we crossed the street and looked back towards these buildings and you could see smoke and embers rising," Chambre said.
Nine tenants -- all students at Mount Allison University -- escaped without injuries.
Counselling and financial aid is also being offered to the students as they look to recover from yet another setback.
"Providing temporary accommodation on campus, providing meals on campus and also covering off the textbooks that were lost in last night's fire," said Adam Christie, the university's student life and international services director.
The university is helping the students with temporary accommodations and support.
The building sustained extensive damage.
There is no word on a cause at this time, but Bowser says the fire doesn’t appear to be suspicious.
