A dog and a cat were killed in a Tuesday morning fire in Eastern Passage, N.S.
Kevin Dean, assistant chief for Halifax Fire, said firefighters responded to the blaze on McKay Lane around 7:45 a.m.
“It was fully involved upon arrival, so crews immediately went into a defensive operation, which means they fought the fire from the exterior,” he said.
Dean said there were people home at the time, but they got out of the building safely with no injuries. He later told Global News that a dog and a cat were killed.
In all, six crews responded, with 24 firefighters in total. Dean said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
In a tweet, Dan Bedell, the communications director for the Canadian Red Cross Atlantic, said seven people were displaced from the duplex and an adjacent travel trailer.
He said volunteers have arranged emergency lodging, food and clothing for five of them, and the same support will be offered to the other two as needed.
Eastern Passage MLA Barbara Adams said in a Facebook post that three families “lost everything” in the fire.
She said community members are organizing a walk-a-thon fundraiser on Sunday, with all proceeds going to the families.
— with files from Callum Smith