Around 40 people have been temporarily displaced after a building fire in O’Leary, in P.E.I.’s Prince County.
Firefighters received a call about an alarm inside the building, a former seniors home, Tuesday at around 10:30 a.m.
Crews discovered that the fire broke out in an attic in the centre section of the building.
None of the residents who were inside at the time were injured. Other buildings in the area did not need to evacuate, but the nearby Home Hardware store did so voluntarily.
O’Leary fire Chief Ron Phillips said the building may not be a complete loss, but that its centre portion will need “major renovations.”
“The two outer wings have some smoke damage,” he said. “The centre section, which is the two-storey section, is extensively damaged. The top story is a writeoff. First floor is water and smoke damage.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Canadian Red Cross said it’s providing emergency accommodations and food and for the displaced residents, and that it will be working with the Town of O’Leary to support them over the coming days.
