THUNDER BAY – Fire crews continued to battle a fire at a Bay Street apartment and business complex well into Saturday morning, hours after it first broke out.
The fire at the Starlite Flooring building, at the corner of Bay Street and Machar Avenue, blanketed the Bay & Algoma area in smoke Friday evening and caused heavy damage to the structure.
Firefighters responded to the incident around 5:20 p.m., according to a release from Thunder Bay Fire Rescue.
Crews encountered heavy smoke and fire conditions on the third floor as they attempted to battle a fire that had become well established in the attic, said platoon chief Harold Spithoff.
That forced firefighters out of the building, where they were seen using an aerial ladder and a chainsaw near the two-storey brick building's roof to gain access to the flames.
Crews were still fighting the fire early Saturday morning, and numerous emergency personnel and city employees were on scene. About a one-block area surrounding the building was blocked off, with several police cruisers present and directing onlookers to stay well back.
Flames coming from the roof of the structure remained visible from a block away late Friday night, one area resident reported, while a pervasive noxious smell from the smoke had largely dissipated by Saturday morning.
A total of five pumpers, two aerial ladders, and one command vehicle were dispatched.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, said Spithoff.
TBFR did not immediately confirm whether there were any injuries.
