Two overnight fires in Cape Breton have left one person dead and more than 50 people displaced, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality said on Sunday.
In New Waterford, N.S., a fire at the Curran Court seniors’ apartment complex resulted in one death and the displacement of approximately 30 people.
The Canadian Red Cross says the blaze was reported at approximately 1 a.m.
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Officials say the fire was contained but the New Waterford Volunteer Fire Department remains on-scene as of Sunday morning.
Residents of the building were initially evacuated to the New Waterford fire hall, said the Canadian Red Cross, where some were picked up by relatives and others are being assisted by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality with emergency lodging.
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It’s not clear at this time how extensive the damage is to the apartment complex or when residents could potentially return home.
In Sydney, N.S., 11 people have lost their homes after a fire resulted in the destruction of a two-storey building on Charlotte Street.
The blaze was reported at approximately 10 p.m.
The building, which contained a ground-level tattoo studio and apartments on the second floor, had to be torn down as a result of the damage but no injuries have been reported.
However, the fire caused an additional 11 people to be evacuated from their residences above the Subway restaurant located next door.
The majority of them are expected to be allowed back into their apartments later on Sunday.
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Volunteers with the Canadian Red Cross have since arranged emergency lodging at hotels throughout the region for 13 international students from Cape Breton University, 11 of whom were residents in the building that was destroyed and two from the adjacent building who have been evacuated as a safety precaution.
The Sydney Fire Department remained at the scene of that fire as of 8 a.m.
Cape Breton’s Emergency Management Office and the Nova Scotia Emergency Management office are coordinating with the Canadian Red Cross to assist those who have been displaced by the fires.