New Waterford seniors complex evacuated due to fire; no injuries

A seniors complex in New Waterford was evacuated early Tuesday morning because of a fire in one of the units.

Twenty-seven residents of Nicholson Terrace were taken to the New Waterford Fire Hall.

They were met there by representatives of the Red Cross and the Cape Breton Regional Housing Authority, who arranged emergency lodgings.

Volunteer Fire Chief Len Barrington said the fire was contained to one of the apartments in the two-storey building.

"Heavy smoke and lots of fire in that apartment," he told CBC. "There was a lot of heat, heavy black smoke."

The fire appears to have started in a bedroom and is not considered suspicious.

Barrington said it took about half an hour to douse the flames and several hours more to clear smoke from the building using a giant fan.

It's not clear when the residents will be allowed back into their homes.