Halifax firefighters battle apartment fire on St. Margarets Bay Road

Firefighters and emergency crews responded to a serious fireat an apartment building on St. Margarets Bay Road in Halifax on Thursday morning.

Halifax Regional Fire& Emergency said they were called to the the 600 block ofSt. Margarets Bay Road at 8:25 a.m. AT.

"When the initialcrew arrived, they reported heavy fire showing and they went defensive, which means we attack from the outside initially," District ChiefStephen Turner said.

Turner said crews were able to quickly knock down the majority of the flames. He said around 10 a.m. that firefighters were inside, knocking down some of the hot spots.

He said the fire was in the attic areaand affected many of the building's sixapartment units.

Everyone who was in the building got out safely, Turner said. There were 11 people inside.

Online fundraiser

A friend of one of the families affected by the firehas set up a GoFundMe page and is also accepting donations of household and personal items.

Carla Munroe saidthe online fundraiser has already received $2,500 in donations.

MunroesaidWIlliam Fraser and Jen Oakley lived at the address with their five children.

She said they were awakened by their dog and managed to escape,but their possessions were destroyed.

"Theyall got out, which is great, but they had no time to grab anything, not a phone, not a wallet, nothing," she said.

"They're actually in the process of moving. So they have a new home, luckily enough, that they're going to be renting as of tomorrow. But they have nothing to put in it."

Munroe said she's grateful for the outpouring of support and is urging anyone who wishes to donate items to contact her through her Facebook page.

A portion of the road wasclosed, butthe scene reopened around 11 a.m.

Fire investigators are workingto determine the fire's cause.