Early morning blaze
Mahone Bay apartments, café damaged by fire
By KEITH CORCORAN
MAHONE BAY - Flames engulfed a top-floor apartment August 27 forcing tenants to evacuate as fire gutted a four-storey building on Main Street.
It was hours before most of the fire was extinguished but not before it did extensive damage to the building.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Lunenburg County RCMP and the provincial fire marshal's office.
Fire departments from Martins River, Blockhouse and Lunenburg assisted in battling the blaze. It was the first true test of Lunenburg's new aerial truck, which was used to blast water down onto the roof of the burning building.
Mahone Bay Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Veinotte was actually in the building staying at Mary Anne Mills' bottom-floor apartment when the building's fire alarms sounded.
They were roused from their slumber at 5:30 a.m.
It wasn't long after people exited the building that flames were shooting out the roof and out toward a rear patio.
"I wasn't long waking up, I'll tell ya," Ms Mills said, standing on the sidewalk as firefighters milled about Main Street talking on portable radios, operating gear or toiling with hose lines.
At least one of the building's tenants didn't have insurance on their apartment. Ms Mills, who only moved in six weeks ago, said she hadn't yet obtained the coverage.
"It was one of those things I was going to do," she said. "Well, you know, no one was hurt. That's all that matters."
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Fire guts a four-storey Mahone Bay building. Lynn Hennigar photo |
Above Ms Mills' place is the SaltSpray Café and Chowder House. The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire and it was not immediately known when it was expected to open again.
The Rawlines family lived on the third floor. A man named John, whose last name could not be confirmed, lived on the fourth floor.
Building owner Chris Alexander said John heard a loud noise and originally thought someone was breaking into the apartment before noticing the flames.
Mr. Alexander, who owned the building at 621 Main Street since 1990 and renovated it soon after, struggled to imagine what his future plans for the building will be.
He said he has insurance coverage on the structure.
Firefighters fought the fire from every imaginable angle, including running a hose line up to the rear patio of the ironically named Waterline Gallery to attack the fire from a higher perch.
Despite its close proximity to the café, the gallery appeared to avoid sustaining much damage.
Robert Knickle's daughter, Pam, asked him to check on the status of her business, Mom's Buy and Sell, also located very close to the scene of the fire.
"She was worried about the store," he said, as crowds continued to gather roadside and on front lawns to watch the action.
He said it was fortunate no one was hurt in the fire. "Everybody got out. That's the main thing."
A team of Canadian Red Cross volunteers provided the four displaced tenants with comfort kits containing personal care items. Spokesman Dan Bedell said all four have since been able to find temporary accommodations.
Emergency Health Services paramedics were on standby at the fire scene. One firefighter was treated after getting saltwater spray in his eyes.
Another firefighter, en route to the Mahone Bay fire station to respond to the original call, sustained minor injuries after a deer-related collision on the Oakland Road. For video of the fire, visit southshorenow.ca.
Firefighters Kevin Corkum and Derrick Church operate the aerial truck
