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Apartment fire led to evacuation of building

The Marathon fire department was called to 5 Hemlo Avenue last night after a fire broke out in one of the basement units.
marathon-fire-truck
Marathon fire truck (Photo by the Marathon Fire Department)

MARATHON — Residents of a multi-unit building will be temporarily displaced after a fire.

At approximately 8:30 Wednesday evening, the Marathon fire department attended a call for service at an apartment building where a basement unit caught fire.

Acting Fire Chief Don Kruger said the fire was mostly contained to the unit, but multiple people were evacuated as the fire spread to the halls of the building.

“It had spread. A person was on a motor scooter and the scooter caught on fire, so they did spread it a little bit throughout the building, but there was no damage to any other units,” Kruger told CFNO Radio.

Kruger later told SNNewwatch that the motorized scooter was a wheelchair of a person living in the unit that caught fire.   

According to Kruger, several people suffered minor injuries, two of which were transported to the hospital. One with minor burns and one that suffered from smoke inhalation. 

The water and smoke damage to the building was extensive on the basement floor; therefore, the building is expected to remain empty as the incident is being investigated and clean-up can begin, Kruger added.

However, he believes that the cause was accidental.  

“It sounds like it was a bit of a cooking incident,” said Kruger.


This story has been updated to reflect new information obtained by SNNewswatch

With files from Al Cresswell, CFNO Radio



Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

About the Author: Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Clint Fleury is a web reporter covering Northwestern Ontario and the Superior North regions.
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