Investigators trying to determine cause of early morning Maitland Street fire
Posted Dec 7, 2015 05:57:22 AM.
Last Updated Dec 7, 2015 05:52:49 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – No one was hurt and a structure under construction has been destroyed after a massive overnight blaze near downtown Halifax.
Regional fire crews responded to a call of a blaze on Maitland Street near Portland Place around 2:40 a.m. Monday, where flames were reportedly shooting thirty to forty feet in the air.
On-Duty Division commander Peter Andrews said the near completed structure under construction was fully engulfed when crews arrived.
“As we rolled up, it was a three-storey building and the third floor had just started to collapse down to the second floor,” he explained, adding crews then worked to keep the fire spreading to three neighbouring buildings.
The building was reduced to a pile of rubble and damages were also caused to neighbouring building’s on the north and south of the now-destroyed structure. Three cars parked in front of the building were also damaged because of the intense heat.
The southern building is primarily commercial so no one was inside at the time, but the neighbouring homes to the north were evacuated as a precaution, with everyone allowed to return home around 7:30 a.m.
No one was displaced or hurt as a result of the fire.
Darrell Aulenback was working his overnight shift at the Salvation Army on Gottingen Street at Portland Place and quickly called 911 when he saw the massive flames and smoke.
“My God, I couldn’t believe it, it was just amazing, just a big ball of fire,” Aulenback said.
“It moved very quickly, within a few minutes it was collapsing in on itself.”
He was amazed no one was hurt.
Investigators worked at the scene for most of the day Monday to try and determine the cause.
Halifax Regional Fire Division Commander Chuck Bezanson says crews investigating narrowed the fire scene down to an area of origin — but not yet to the point of origin, adding crews will have to wait until Tuesday try to determine the cause.
“Right now the building is too unstable for us to continue into an area of interest that we have. We’re going to have some heavy machinery stabilize the section a little bit better for us and we’ll hope to get back in there around 8 o’clock on Tuesday morning,” said Bezanson following a briefing on the investigation Monday afternoon.
Fire and smoke also reached two neighbouring buildings as well as three parked cars nearby and may approach one-million dollars in total damages.
