A challenging blaze in a historical building in downtown Fredericton.
Assistant Deputy Fire Chief David McKinley says they responded to 11 Carleton Street on Tuesday afternoon.
“Firefighters found the back deck fully involved with fire running up the walls and up into the attic space,” McKinley says.
Firefighters made their way inside to knock down the flames, but McKinley says the fire quickly made its way into the walls and ceiling of the 180-year-old building.
“It made firefighting very difficult and eventually, the fire started venting through the roof. We had to pull the crews out until we could get the fire under control,” he says.
McKinley says the building is in the Garrison District between the old guard house and the current Fredericton Armoury. The city was leasing the building from the Department of National Defence for tourism.
“The fire burned some holes in the roof. There’s quite a bit of damage upstairs. We put the aerial streams up and so there was a lot of water damage,” McKinley says.
Employees who were working in the building when the fire broke out all managed to get out safely,
Around 25 firefighters battled the blaze for six or seven hours. Six vehicles were utilized, three of them were aerials.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries after a fall at the scene. McKinley says they were taken to hospital to be treated.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause, but Fredericton police are now seeking information to identify a person of interest in the fire.
Fredericton Police Force requests the public’s assistance in identifying a person of interest related to an active file.
The person is wearing a distinctive sweatshirt which may help identify them. pic.twitter.com/Tjrj522U4L— Fredericton Police (@CityFredPolice) March 12, 2024
