Investigation continues into cause of Charlottetown apartment fire

Fire officials say the investigation continues to look into the cause of a fire at a Charlottetown apartment building over the weekend.

Two people are dead and three people have been taken to hospital after the early morning fire on Sunday.

On Monday morning, Charlottetown Fire Department Deputy Chief Kent Mitchell said the investigation is still in its early stages.

“The investigators will be a couple of days on scene, and then there'll be some follow up interviews and gathering of information,” Mitchell told CBC News.

“It could be a week or two before we can actually come to a determination on the cause of this fire.”

Mitchell said he does not yet have an update on the conditions of the three people who were taken to hospital.

He said the department first received a call at 7 a.m. Sunday about the fire in the two-storey apartment building on Green Street, which has approximately 20 units.

Mitchell said the fire was put out within an hour of arrival, while some of the residents had to be removed through windows to get out of the burning building.

The two people who died were found inside the same apartment during a search of the building, Mitchell said.

Approximately 20 residents were displaced by the fire, but the Red Cross has been assisting some people by securing hotel rooms for them, Mitchell said.

The P.E.I. Humane Society has also taken in some pets from the building and is currently caring for them.

Mitchell is reminding Islanders to take basic fire safety precautions at home, including having working smoke alarms, planning evacuation routes, practising safe cooking habits and keeping fire extinguishers that are inspected annually by a certified provider.

He stressed that smoke alarms are especially critical.

“Please make sure you have working smoke alarms. This is even without a fire happening, but it's a good reminder,” he said.