Fire at new apartment building in Fredericton deemed suspicious
A fire that led to the collapse of a brand new townhouse building on Fredericton's north side has been deemed suspicious.
The blaze started just before 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, at the two-storey townhouse building, which contained six new units.
Within 15 minutes of the Fredericton Fire Department's arrival, the building collapsed, said Steven Fraser, a platoon captain with the Fredericton Fire Department.
"Upon arrival, crews reported very heavy fire conditions," he said. "Fire spread very rapidly, smoke was visible across the city."
The building was on Ashley Crescent in the Nashwaaksis area.
He said the building was under construction and there was no one living in it.
The fire was brought under control in 90 minutes, but crews remained on scene to extinguish debris for several hours.
Damage done next door
Fraser said there weren't any injuries but a 12-unit townhouse building next door was evacuated. Firefighters were also able to rescue a dog that was home alone at the time.
The building suffered significant heat damage and saw melted siding and several cracked windows from the heat. The building also lost power.
Residents were allowed to return to their homes around 5 p.m. and power was eventually restored later in the evening.
A large tractor beside the two buildings was also destroyed by the fire.
Seventeen firefighters and five fire trucks responded to the weekend blaze.
Fredericton police and Ambulance New Brunswick responded to the scene. Enbridge Gas was also there.
Police said the fire is still under investigation.
