Ten people with developmental disabilities are being housed in a New Brunswick hotel after a fire damaged a room in a special care home in Moncton.
Gail Brownlee, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Red Cross, says the residents each have their own room and a care worker with the Friendship House residence is available to assist them.
“For them it will be business as usual. It is a different setting, but the same house rules will apply,” said Brownlee in a telephone interview.
Brownlee says the residents of Friendship House were evacuated from the care home around 1 a.m. Wednesday and the fire department arranged for a city bus to bring them to the hotel.
Moncton Fire Chief Eric Arsenault says the fire was contained to a single room in the house and was brought under control within five minutes by firefighters.
Arsenault says the home passed its last fire inspection on Feb. 17, meeting all fire safety requirements.
He says an investigation is underway into the cause, and damage is being assessed.
Arsenault said the provincial Department of Social Development regulates the home and will determine if and when it is safe to return.
“Containing it to one room should be positive in terms of getting things fixed and reopened as quickly as possible,” he said.
A spokesperson for the home was unavailable for comment on what is planned for the care and housing of the residents.
Comments