'That was my home:' 22 residents displaced after a fire at a downtown sober living home

Residents of a Windsor sober living home say they were thankful to make it out aliveafter an early-morning fire Wednesday ravaged the Launch Pad Centre on Ouellette Avenue.

"The smoke was just so thick that I couldn't even see my hands around my face. I didn't know where to go," said resident Mike Chenier, who also marked two months sober Wednesday.

"I was just holding the railing trying to get down to the exit. And then I heard another one of our buddies, Justin, screaming outside, 'Get out. There's a fire. Get out, get out.' I just followed his voice and got me out of there. I almost fainted. I was throwing up."

Cheniersays he was taken tohospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

"I'm ... just thankful to be alive and everybody got out."

WATCH: This Windsor man recounts the moment he made it out of Wednesday's fire at Launch Pad Recovery Centre

This Windsor man recounts the moment he made it out of Wednesday's Launch Pad Recovery Centre fire

3 months ago

Duration 0:32

A fire at the Launch Pad Recovery Centre, a home for people seeking sobriety, has displaced 22 people. Resident Mike Chenier recounts his escape from the fire early Wednesday morning.

The centre on Ouellette Avenue is the second of two Launch Pad centres, and opened its doors on May 1.

Windsor police and the Ontario Fire Marshal are investigating the fire. Chief fire prevention officer Mike Costeconfirmed one person had been treated in hospital.

In the meantime, John Button, the home's founder and director of programming, posted on Facebook that 22 men have been displaced and the home is looking for community help.

CBC News could not reach Button on Wednesday.

For now, residents are staying at Launch Pad's second location, but say it's a tight squeeze.

Another resident, RaduVandenbroere, says he opened the door to flames and now has a small burn on his hand.

"I'm like, is this a dream or something? And I open the door again ...I started running for it."

Resident Connor Tamblyn said he understands the fire devastated much of the first floor of the building, but flames came through the floor to his second-storey bedroom.

"Back to square one of not having a place to go, to go home," Tamblyn said. "That was my home.

"[I hope]that bigger and better things come from this."