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At least 25 people have been displaced following a large fire at a 15-unit building in Halifax’s south end on Tuesday morning.
Halifax Regional Police say crews responded to the scene at 5450 Inglis St. just before 2:30 a.m.
“When (fire crews) arrived, there was a heavy volume of fire on the back side of the structure, extending up the back into the roof line of the structure,” said Brian Grey, Halifax Fire deputy chief of operations.
Fire crews tell Global News a part of the building will likely have to be torn down due to extensive damage.
The fire was coming out of the roof of the Knightsbridge heritage complex.
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Police say officers and fire crews will be on scene for much of the morning and residents are asked to avoid the area.
There is no word yet on the cause or the extent of the damage.
Police say there were no injuries.
Inglis Street is closed from Tower Road to Victoria Road. Surrounding side streets are also closed.
Karen Shih has owned a condo in the building for the for the last 16 years.
“I feel pretty emotional and sick to my stomach,” Shih said.
“It’s a beautiful building, a beautiful old heritage building and we have wonderful tenants who have been living there for a couple of years, and they have no home. Everything they own is gone.”
“It’s pretty sad, pretty sad.”
The Canadian Red Cross confirms eight families were displaced by the blaze. The Red Cross is offering support, although many of the residents are now staying with friends and family.
“Obviously it is hard to be displaced from your home at any point, but a lot of the people are just happy to have been able to make it out,” says Nicholas Williams of the Canadian Red Cross. “I know I’ve heard stories of neighbours knocking on each others’ doors to wake them up, so it’s obviously a very sombre mood.”
Fire officials say the bingo hall next to the Halifax Forum has been opened as a spot where people who are displaced can go to receive help.
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