'Very tough fire' in Moncton displaces tenants - Action News
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New Brunswick

'Very tough fire' in Moncton displaces tenants

Several people were rescued from two burning buildings early Sunday morning in downtown Moncton.

Firefighters spent two hours fighting early morning blaze in citys downtown

A red vehicle and police car are parked outside two large houses that are damaged from fire. Yellow tape stretches across the front of the buildings.
Firefighters and RCMP responded to a fire in two homes at Cameron and Dufferin streets in downtown Moncton on Sunday morning. Several people inside the buildings were safely rescued. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Firefighters had to rescue several people from ablaze that damaged two buildings and displaced tenants in downtown Monctonearly Sunday morning.

The city's fire department responded to the corner of Cameron and Dufferin streets shortly after 2 a.m. and foundtwo large homes on fire, with people trapped on the second and third floors, platoon Chief Brian McDonald said.

"Firefighters raised ladders to immediately rescue the trapped civilians," McDonald said in an interview.

Three photos show smoke billowing from two houses. Red lights from emergency vehicles cast a glow on the buildings
Local resident Ernest Quinn took these photos of the blaze in downtown Moncton early Sunday morning. (Ernest Quinn/Facebook)

RCMP and Ambulance NB were also on the scene, and everyone wassafely rescued and treated by paramedics, he said. He couldn't comment on the conditions of those rescued.

The blaze spread through the attics of both homes, causing substantial damage. It took two hours to bring the fire under control.

Yellow police tape stretches across the front of two houses, one with boarded up windows. The tops of both buildings are blackened from fire damage. A police cruiser is parked in front.
One of these buildings was partially vacant and the other had been converted into several smaller apartments, according to platoon Chief Brian McDonald. (Shane Magee/CBC)

"It was a tough fire, a very tough fire to fight," McDonald said. "The firefighters did exhaustive work to put the fire out. It's very challenging to fight fire in these older homes."

One of the homes was partially vacantand the other had been converted into several smaller apartments and was fully occupied, McDonald said. He didn't know the exact number of displaced tenants.

The cause of the fireis under investigation. McDonald couldn't comment on whether there was a suspected cause.

Yellow police tape stretches across the front of a grey house.
The cause of the fire that damaged two homes and displaced several tenants in Moncton early Sunday morning is under investigation. (Shane Magee/CBC)

NB Power first cut off power to the entire neighbourhood, then isolated the two homes after the fire was extinguished, he said.

The Red Cross was also on scene to assist the displaced tenants.