Close to 30 people, along with their pets, have been displaced from their apartments above Suite Nightclub after a fire broke out Wednesday shortly before 3:30 p.m.
According to one of the tenants who lives on the third floor, the sound of the alarm prompted him to step out of his apartment and check on his neighbours.
“I went out after the power went out and saw smoke billowing out of the room next to me,” said Rice Blackwell. “After that, I took the initiative to see if anyone was in there. Normally we don’t do that because the fire will always catch with oxygen. I was quick, did a peek, nobody was in there. The room was on fire.”
After closing the door to contain the fire, Blackwell said he immediately began knocking on neighbouring doors to alarm people about what was happening.
The apartment supervisor, John (Pat) Kincaid lives on the second floor. He also ran to the third floor to check on the other tenants, but was stopped by the heavy black smoke.
“I couldn’t get up there. It was too smokey,” said Kincaid.
Those on the first and second floor were able to get out of the building safely, but six others, according to Kingston Fire and Rescue, were trapped on the third floor.
“When crews arrived, there was smoke and flames visible at the rear of the building. Crews proceeded to the third floor and began attacking the fire. While they were trying to extinguish the fire, they also rescued six individuals from the third floor and exited via a ladder,” said Ted Posadowski, the chief fire prevention officer for Kingston Fire & Rescue.
Close to 25 firefighters from multiple stations battled the blaze, which was contained to the third floor.
Teams of firefighters could be seen entering the building in full gear, later exiting covered in soot. Fans were also placed at the entrance of the building to help elevate the large amount of smoke that could be seen from blocks away.
Around 4 p.m., one of the firefighters confirmed that the fire was extinguished and crews were working on hot spots.
Kingston Fire and Rescue along with Fire Prevention remained on scene until 7:30 p.m. to make sure the scene was clear. An investigation determined damage estimates to be approximately $500,000, but exactly how the fire started still remains unknown.
“At this point, we don’t have a cause of the fire. At this point, it’s undetermined,” said Posadowski.
While crews worked, the City of Kingston brought in buses for tenants to keep warm and dry. Accommodations along with additional support services were also provided for those impacted by the fire.
According to Posadowski, there were no injuries, something he attributes to the quick nature of the crews at the scene.
“Crews did very well with the conditions and the building. They got the call, observed the smoke and flames, went in there quickly and between extinguishing the fire and rescuing the individuals, they did a good job,” said Posadowski.
At this point it’s unsure when tenants will be able to move back in.