Provincial police say there were no injuries after fire hit a seniors’ residence in the eastern Quebec community of Gaspé.
The Manoir Saint-Augustin is home to 131 residents and was damaged by the blaze that began early Thursday, just after 1 a.m.
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Police say an investigation is ongoing, but they believe that an unattended cigarette set a mattress on fire.
Firefighters arrived to find thick smoke in the corridors of the building.
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Residents were taken care of by their families or Canadian Red Cross volunteers.
Police say they don’t know when residents will be allowed to return to their homes because the water used to douse the flames caused considerable damage.
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