Brandon condo building left with extensive damage after going up in flames
A Brandon condominium complex has been left with extensive damage after going up in flames on Tuesday.
The fire broke out in a building the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue.
Firefighters worked through the night and into Wednesday to contain the fire and put out hot spots at the four-storey condo building
Jae Johnston, who lives in a condo across the street, said the initial sound of sirens didn’t disturb her.
“My roommate texted me and she was like ‘Have you seen the fire?’ I was like, ‘What fire?’ She’s like, ‘Look out the window,’ and then I went and looked out and there was a big blaze.” she said.
Johnston said the street started filling up with people - some who wanted to see what was going on and others who were being evacuated.
She added the fire was so big that people in her building feared their condo would catch fire as well.
“We were all kind of concerned. Everyone in the building was packing up. Just hoping for the best and expecting the worst,” Johnston said.
Deputy Fire Chief for Brandon Emergency Fire Services Terry Parlow said crews responded to the fire around 8:45pm on Tuesday.
“It was very involved when we attended the scene initially,” Parlow said.
Parlow said firefighters contained the blaze to the one building, and crews worked through the night into Wednesday afternoon.
He noted that no injuries have been reported as a result of this fire.
“All personnel and occupants have been accounted for, and everybody’s safe and well. There’s obviously a lot going on in their lives right now,” he said.
Brandon residents have been reaching out to see how they can help.
The City of Brandon put out a tweet saying: “We have been seeing several requests from the kind residents of Brandon on what/how they can donate to the persons who have been displaced due to the downtown fire last night.”
The city is asking residents to hold off on donating items until the needs of those impacted are assessed.
Johnston said she knows some of the people who live in the condo building
“They’ve lost everything, but they’re doing okay and everyone seems to have a place to go and all that,” she said.
Fire officials sid the top level of the condo has extensive fire damage, while the lower levels were damaged by water.
On Thursday morning, the Brandon Police Service said the cause of the fire was accidental.
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