A section of Quinpool Road in Halifax remains closed to allow vacuum trucks to collect water following a fire early Friday that destroyed at least two apartments and several businesses.
No one was injured, but residents have lost their homes and belongings.
The Red Cross of Canada said Saturday it is providing emergency accommodations for six people.
Jim Stymeist of the Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Service said firefighters fought the blaze for over 12 hours and stayed overnight to move debris control the smoke. The fire crews left at around 3:50 p.m on Saturday to allow the vacuum trucks to collect and dispose of the water used to fight the blaze.
Stymeist said fire trucks will return to the scene after that to hose down any last debris.
An alert sent on Friday said home and business owners in the area should keep windows and doors closed and “turn off systems that bring in air from the outside.”
In a social media post, the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters said the smoke was especially toxic due to “of the materials inside the structure—things like plastics, insulation, treated wood, and synthetic furnishings.”
Quinpool Road is closed between Oxford Street and Preston Street and will reopen once the site is determined to be safe.
Earlier Friday, crews were busy demolishing the two-storey building on Quinpool Road, which sustained extensive damage in the blaze. Demolition began Friday afternoon and part of the road was closed.
Firefighters responded just after midnight to the mixed residential and commercial building. Naan n Curry, Quinpool Billiards, Define Hair Studio and Barbershop, and Misty Vapes were all located on the first floor.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
