Nine people are without a home after a fire Thursday morning tore through a 19th-Century house on Trenton’s Queen Street.
Quinte West Fire Chief John Whelan said no serious injuries to people were reported, but the fire in the two-storey, five-apartment house killed two dogs. Firefighters managed to rescue one cat.
Hastings-Quinte paramedics examined one person for smoke inhalation, but the person did not go to hospital, Whelan said.
The fire levelled the building, he said, and so the fire’s cause could not be determined, though firefighters notified Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal. The property is two blocks west of Quinte West city hall, just west of the Bay of Quinte.
Whelan estimated the total cost of the blaze, including property loss and cleanup, to be $1 million to $1.5 million.
He said the fire’s rapid spread was due to its “balloon” construction. Common in older buildings, the method involves using wooden studs running uninterrupted between the foundation and roof. Whelan said gaps within the walls, etc., were often stuffed with newspapers, sawdust, and horsehair as insulation.
It allows for rapid spread once fire begins, the chief said.
“It spreads through the whole home, and that was our challenge,” Whelan said in a telephone interview.
“They’re the most difficult fires to fight, because the fire’s behind the wall, but you can’t see it.”
He said firefighters received the first report of the fire at about 10:45 a.m. The fire was well underway when firefighters arrived.
Crews entered the building quickly, but the flames forced a quick exit.
“We had to retreat because the fire load was so high.”
Whelan said city crews used an aerial-ladder truck and called for Belleville crews to bring theirs, as well. In total, 35 firefighters were involved; the last departed the scene at about 8 p.m.
They were able to limit the damage to the property, he said.
Firefighters returned Friday morning after neighbours reported the scene was still smouldering, Whelan added.
He said all residents were tenants; the building is owned by a Toronto resident.
Ontario Provincial Police, and workers from Hydro One and Enbridge Gas were all present. Paramedics remained at scene as firefighting continued in case any firefighters were injured, but none occurred, Whelan said.