Fire at Welland apartment

Residents of a Welland apartment building are without a home after a fire ripped through a unit Sunday morning causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and killed one cat.

The fire broke out shortly after 8 o’clock in an apartment on the second floor and black, billowing smoke filled the complex.

Firefighters were called along with Niagara Emergency Services and a city bus was brought to the scene to provide shelter for residents forced from the building, some of whom were wearing pyjamas.

Nobody was injured in the fire, but a pet cat was killed. Residents that were left homeless are being assisted by the Red Cross, Victims Services and the Salvation Army.

Firefighters are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, thought they don’t believe it is suspicious. The unit where the fire began suffered a lot of damage, and there’s heavy smoke and water damage to the building’s east wing. It’s unclear when residents can return to their home.