Apartment building fire caused by light that fell

The cause of an apartment building fire that forced 35 people out of their homes has been deemed accidental.

There were no injuries from the fire, which started in an apartment building on Norwood Road in the early morning hours of June 24.

Charlottetown fire inspector Winston Bryan said the fire was caused by a trouble light hanging in a tenant's closet. The tenant had left the light on, and it fell on the floor onto a pile of combustible materials when he put something else in the closet.

Trouble lights are not meant for this kind of use, Bryan noted, but are designed to illuminate work areas, particularly for automotive repair.

"The trouble light, it does have a metal, protective body, with some wire on the front that does, with the light bulb inside, does create a lot of energy and does get hot," said Bryan.

"With this falling down on the combustible materials, over time it ignited the combustible materials and spread throughout the apartment."

Some former residents of the Norwood Road building say they are still trying to find a new home.

More from CBC P.E.I.