A fire in a downtown Moncton apartment building sent one person to hospital and kept firefighters on scene for several hours.
Platoon Chief Paul Bruens said the call came in just before 6 p.m. Monday for a structure fire at 347 Lutz Street.
Crews saw heavy black smoke while responding, and the incident was upgraded to bring in additional resources.
A total of 18 Moncton firefighters were sent to the scene, along with a truck and four firefighters from Dieppe.
Bruens said flames were visible from both the front and back of the building when crews arrived.
“The fire was very extensive and hot on arrival,” he said.
Firefighters had difficulty getting inside because of the heat and damage near the doorways.
Once in the building, they found fire spreading through the ceilings and walls.
Crews worked for about five hours to bring the blaze under control.
One man was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital. No firefighters were injured, according to Bruens.
The building contained several apartment units.
Bruens noted that crews worked to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures, with icy ground conditions adding to the challenge.
“They worked very hard to get that fire out,” he said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Bruens said they cannot confirm reports of an explosion before firefighters arrived.
Investigators stayed on scene for several hours and were returning Tuesday morning to continue their work.
