KIRKLAND LAKE - On Saturday, Elizabeth Grenier received the devastating news that her family's home was engulfed in flames and that her cat was missing.
Twenty-five people were displaced by the Sept. 21 fire that destroyed the 52 Government Rd. building, which had 16 apartment units. No injuries have been reported.
Grenier’s family is among those left without a home. Northern College has announced that some of its students are affected as well.
Grenier is currently away at Conestoga College in Kitchener. She said her family has lived in the building for four years. Her brother and youngest sister were the only ones home when the blaze began.
“My brother opened the window, looked up, and saw flames,” Grenier said in an interview with TimminsToday.
“He quickly went downstairs to get my sister, focusing only on getting her out. They didn’t have time to get our cat, Blackie.”
While Grenier’s siblings managed to escape unharmed, the fate of Blackie, their 10-year-old calico cat, remains uncertain. Grenier is holding onto hope that she may have jumped out of the window during the chaos.
Kirkland Lake Fire Chief Earl Grigg said they received the call about the fire around 3 p.m. and arrived at the scene within two minutes.
Neighbouring fire departments from King Kirkland, Round Lake and Kenogami assisted in battling the blaze, contributing to a total of approximately 40 firefighters on the scene.
The fire was suppressed by 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“The fire burnt through the roof in the truss system, collapsed onto the top floor. And then with the water that we added to the building, it just made it structurally unsound. So we had to tear it down for public safety,” Grigg said.
While the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined, it is suspected to be electrical.
“The unit where it started, they weren't home. They hadn’t been home for about four or five hours. So we're not sure. It was well under the roof before we got there. So it was probably an electrical issue,” Grigg said.
The total damage from the fire is estimated to be around $500,000. The road has since reopened to the public.
“It was a good effort by everybody to keep it to one structure and not lose two,” Grigg said.
Mayor Stacy Wight expressed gratitude for the quick actions of emergency responders.
“My thoughts go out to all those affected by the fire Saturday night. This loss is devastating to everyone connected to that building. I am thankful everyone made it out safely,” she said.
“I believe it was the quick response time and the actions of Chief Earl Grieg, full time and volunteer firefighters that prevented a far worse outcome in our downtown core.”
