Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of an overnight fire on Lockhart Avenue.
The fire damaged the L.J. Jaillet Residence, a level 2 special care facility.
1/6 Pictures From Fire At Special Care Residence On Lockhart Avenue #Moncton #MonctonNews #NB #NBNews pic.twitter.com/aHtb7AAqag
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Division Chief for Fire Prevention Charles LeBlanc explains what they know so far.
“As far as the investigation, we know the fire started on the main level within a bedroom, at this current time we’re just basically sifting through the debris trying to determine the origin and cause of the fire,” says LeBlanc.
2/6 Pictures From Fire At Special Care Residence On Lockhart Avenue #Moncton #MonctonNews #NB #NBNews pic.twitter.com/sQVyqCwMTy
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In this video, Chief LeBlanc is taking Magic, their “Accelerant Detection Canine” through the scene to look for any traces of hydrocarbons.
That includes any petroleum based product like gasoline, oil, kerosene and diesel.
3/6 Pictures From Fire At Special Care Residence On Lockhart Avenue #Moncton #MonctonNews #NB #NBNews pic.twitter.com/1sINaScQh7
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Neighbour Val LeBlanc says they were woken up shortly after 1 in the morning and saw smoke pouring out of the windows of the residence.
5/6 Pictures From Fire At Special Care Residence On Lockhart Avenue #Moncton #MonctonNews #NB #NBNews pic.twitter.com/gcgojs5286
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“Well we were kinda worried because all we could see is smoke, but if we’d seen the fire it could have been a lot worse for the houses next to it, say my house or the neighbours,” says LeBlanc. “It could have been, say, a windy night, but we’re lucky they put the fire out and everything is fine now.”
4/6 Pictures From Fire At Special Care Residence On Lockhart Avenue #Moncton #MonctonNews #NB #NBNews pic.twitter.com/UFLz66Mpsh
— 91.9The Bend News (@919TheBendNews) June 1, 2016
LeBlanc the fire reminded him about the importance of fire safety.
“We sorta realized we should check our alarms in the house and maybe get a fire extinguisher you know certain things that you don’t really have,” says LeBlanc. “But I mean, you kinda worry because these houses here they’re all, say, 50, 60, 65 years old.”
Residence owner Jacqueline Jaillet says all ten residents are uninjured and are being put up by the Red Cross for three days at the Coastal Inn in Dieppe.
Jaillet says it could be several months before they are allowed back in.
She adds they are trying to keep all ten residents together, because for some, they’ve been together for 8 years.
Jaillet says her coordinator says it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a space for all ten to live together, but they won’t know for a little while yet.
