Caledonia fire

Two elderly people are dead following an early Saturday morning apartment fire in Caledonia.

Donna and Jerry Lapierre were found dead after they had just moved into the 30-unit apartment building on Argyle St. back on June 2nd.

One of the neighbours said flames “were just shooting” out of their apartment.

Ann Peters made the 911 call after she woke up in the middle of the night to a faint sound of a smoke detector.

Peters said grey and white smoke was coming from the top of the door, that’s when she pulled the fire alarm and called the fire department.

After the fire was put out, damage is estimated at $250,000.

According to the OPP, the fire could have been much worse, but the quick actions by fire fighters prevented the blaze from spreading.

“Our local fire -Haldimand County Fire Department did a great job containing the fire to that particular unit,” Cnst. Ed Sanchuck said.

The Lapierre’s apartment, however, is completely destroyed according to the apartment’s superintendent.

“There’s nothing left of it,” Jesse Gagnon describes “the ceiling is gone. Everything is burnt.”

Tenets who can’t return to their homes and are exhausted from the experience still consider themselves lucky they were not hurt, but they are shocked about the death of their 3rd floor nieghbour that they barely know.

The Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating how the fire was sparked.