A 20-year-old was taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a third-floor apartment on Montreal Road Thursday afternoon.
Cornwall Fire Services said the resident was treated at the scene by paramedics, then taken to Cornwall Community Hospital. The injuries were serious enough the person was later airlifted to Ottawa.
The fire was reported just after 12:15 p.m. at the Lefebvre Building located at Montreal Road and McConnell Avenue.
Platoon Chief Bryan Ward said crews arrived to find heavy smoke and high heat conditions inside the unit.
“The initial arriving crew did a fantastic job with what they were faced with,” said Ward.
About 10 firefighters were on scene at first, but two more alarms were issued bringing in additional personnel.
The fire started in a unit on the building’s third floor. A minor amount of smoke did make it into the hallway.
No other residents were reported as injured, but firefighters confirmed a cat died. Ward said a resuscitation attempt was made, but was unsuccessful.
Cornwall Police Service helped evacuate residents, while the Canadian Red Cross has been assisting displaced residents.
Roads in the area remained blocked while emergency personnel completed their work.
The Cornwall Police Service and Cornwall Fire Services will be investigating the cause of the fire.