Smiths Falls, Ont., fire sends 3 police officers to hospital

Three police officers were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation Friday when a fire tore through a three-storey apartment building in Smiths Falls, Ont.

Police and fire crews were called to the 22-unit building on Pearl Street at about 11:15 a.m., according to town officials.

They were able to help one person evacuate from the building without serious injury, the town said in a post on Facebook later Friday afternoon.

Some 50 firefighters were required to put out the blaze. Crews had to be called in from neighbouring fire departments in Montague, Perth, Carleton Place and Mississippi Mills, the town said.

The three officers who inhaled smoke were all from the local police force, the town said. They are now out of the hospital.

While the damage from the flames was limited to the back of the apartment complex, the town said the entire building suffered water and smoke damage.

Residents displaced by the fire are being provided with temporary lodging and other assistance from Victim Services of Lanark County and the Red Cross, the town said.

The estimated cost of the damage is around $750,000. The Ontario Fire Marshal has been called to the scene to investigate.