No injuries in Clark Street blaze
Access to area around Clark Street fire has been blocked by police, city advises
Access to the site of a devastating apartment-building fire remained restricted into the night Thursday, but the city reports it appears no one was injured as a result of the major blaze.
The Fredericton Fire Department responded en masse Thursday afternoon to a raging fire that was razing the upper floors of a Clark Street apartment building on the capital’s north side.
Flames and smoke could be seen rising from the building from as far away as the south side of the St. John River in the New Brunswick capital Thursday afternoon.
The city fire department posted on social media shortly before 4 p.m. that its personnel were dealing with an incident on Union Street near the intersection with Clark Street.
“Streets are blocked. Please avoid the area,” the social-media post stated.
City spokesperson Sonya Gilks said the fire is at the building located just behind the Irving station on Union Street, near Devon Park Auto.
“It’s a major structure fire,” she told the Fredericton Independent. “Fire and police are on scene.”
Gilks said all available fire department personnel on duty were on the scene Thursday evening, and police officers were on hand for crowd control and to cordon off the area.
Longtime Fredericton residents will recognize the location as the site of the former North Star Sports Bar.
Gilks issued a followup advisory Thursday night, reporting that no injuries were reported as a result of the fire.
She also said the Canadian Red Cross, which had set up in the parking lot of St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, was assisting displaced tenants in securing alternate accommodations.
Fredericton Fire Department personnel will be investigating the blaze over the next few days to determine the cause.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.