A Sunday morning fire at a Chatham housing complex resulted in the displacement of a large number of tenants, officials say.
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Emergency crews remain at 99 McNaughton Ave. W., with the road closed to traffic between St. Clair Street and Sheldon Avenue.
The call came in just before 6 am, with fire stations 1 and 2 responding. Chatham-Kent police, EMS and victim services also attended.
“The building has been completely evacuated and numerous tenants have been displaced,” fire officials said in a media release later that morning. “Some tenants suffered minor smoke inhalation and were treated at scene by EMS, (with) no other injuries to report.
“Both a CK fire investigator and the Office of the Fire Marshal are en route to the scene. CK Housing officials have been notified.”
Although the fire appeared to be mostly knocked down by 9:30 am, the extent of the damage was unknown. There was no immediate word on a possible cause.
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Police said the road will likely be closed for a “majority of the day.”
Randy Dehaw, who lives toward the front of the complex, watched the scene as he spoke with other tenants on the sidewalk.
“I just saw the flames,” he said. “From what I hear, everyone’s OK.”
Emmanuel Baptist Church, located across the street, has opened its doors to assist residents with whatever they might need.
“They’re awesome,” said Dehaw, who’s lived in the building since 1997. “They’re helping us right out… They’re going out of their way.”
Another resident, who didn’t wish to be named, said she just wanted to go home, but was unsure when that would happen.
“I’m hearing different things. There’s a lot of water damage,” she said.
She credited emergency crews for their efforts, adding “it’s nice to see that kind of presence,” along with the church for providing a dry place to sit down.
She has been living in the complex for 15 years.
“This is the first really big fire I’ve seen here,” she said.
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