‘A tragedy’: One person dead after large fire in Bridgewater, roads still closed

A major fire in Bridgewater, N.S., has left one person dead.

One person has died following a large fire in Bridgewater, N.S.

Emergency crews responded to the scene on King Street just before noon Wednesday.

“When we arrived, there was a massive blaze at an older three-storey apartment building with multiple units,” said Bridgewater Police Service Deputy Chief Danny MacPhee.

“There were numerous people in the area recording video from unsafe locations. We had to move them back to allow emergency crews access and determine whether any of them were residents.”

A spokesperson for the town said the fire also extended to a second building and crews sprayed water onto a third to prevent any further spread.

“In all my years of policing, I’ve never seen a fire become that intense that quickly,” MacPhee said.

Several fire agencies, including from outside the town, responded.

However, MacPhee said the building was too dangerous for firefighters to fully enter when they first arrived because of both the fire conditions and structural concerns.

“The fire was so intense, and the building was fully engulfed. Windows were exploding when we arrived. There was absolutely no opportunity for firefighters to enter that building safely,” he said.

“Nobody could have entered that building and survived.”

While crews were still fighting the fire, they learned there was a resident who was unaccounted for and possibly inside.

An excavator was brought in so parts of the building could be accessed once conditions improved.

Investigators found a body in a basement unit of 350 King St. just after 6 p.m. It’s believed they are the person who was unaccounted for.

Police say they can’t release more details until the person is positively identified and their family is notified.

“Moments like this test our community. Our sincere condolences are offered to family, friends, and the greater community. Please support all involved, and avoid speculation until all the facts are known,” reads a news release from police.

One person was also assessed by paramedics for smoke inhalation.

The fire was cleared and the scene was turned over to police around 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Parts of King Street and Maple Street are expected to be closed until they leave the area.

The closures affect King Street from Dufferin to Crescent and Maple Street from King to Prince Street.

Bridgewater Transit says Stop 16 is not in service at this time and the following detour is in place:

• King Street to Dominion
• Dominion to Pleasant
• Pleasant to Dufferin
• Dufferin to St. Andrews
• rejoin regular route on Maple Street

Impacted residents are asked to call the Canadian Red Cross at 1-800-222-9597.

The building is estimated to have six units and around 10 residents.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The last major fire on King Street was in 2017.

‘It’s a tragedy’

Mayor David Mitchell says Wednesday’s fire has had a significant impact on the tight-knit community.

“I think people’s primary concern is for those who were immediately affected and displaced,” he told CTV Atlantic’s Hafsa Arif.

“What I saw yesterday was an incredible amount of community support. Beyond the mutual aid from fire departments, people were reaching out asking if they could bring food or water, not only for first responders but also for residents. People were offering places to stay and asking how they could help.”

Mitchell said he’s also spoken with some of the victim’s friends who are “heartbroken.”

“Seeing the pain on their faces and the uncertainty they were dealing with was difficult,” he said.

“It’s a tragedy. We don’t see events like this every day.”

‘Complete chaos’

Rob Zinck, who lives in the area, was coming home from his daily coffee at Tim Hortons when he saw smoke in the air.

At that time, he says the top of the original building was fully engulfed in flames and smoke was pouring out of it.

“People were banging on doors and yelling to see if anyone was still inside. There was one police officer trying to get things organized while the fire chief was on the way,” he said.

“I started a Facebook livestream, hoping it would get the word out, and things just escalated from there very quickly.”

Zinck describes the scene as “complete chaos.”

“The flames just kept getting bigger and spreading. The siding on the building was melting and falling off. The fire started working its way down the side of the structure and toward the railings,” he said.

Zinck says power lines were snapping and falling, and bystanders were concerned about vehicles in the area.

“There was a red Honda parked nearby. People were yelling to the owner to move the car before it was too late, but it was already too late,” says Zinck.

While some have criticized the response time of first responders, MacPhee says police and the fire chief arrived on scene “immediately.”

Zinck also points out the local fire department is made of volunteers.

“It takes time for people to leave work, get to the station, get the trucks and get to the scene,” he said.

“Bridgewater is growing quickly and the infrastructure isn’t always able to keep up. This happened around lunchtime; traffic was heavy and there is construction throughout town. People can’t just snap their fingers and have emergency crews instantly appear.”

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