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A massive fire destroyed a Caledonia building early this morning, leaving at least 8 people homeless and closing several businesses. The fire caused more than $1 million dollars in damage, and it’s likely the Slack Plaza will have to be demolished.
People in the community are shocked but glad to hear no one was killed in this massive fire. Residents in 5 apartments woke up shortly after 2 in the morning to find their building on fire. They made it out safely. Shortly after, the Haldimand County Fire Department arrived to fight the blaze on Argyle Street North.
” What was going through my mind is ‘is this happening? why me?” said tenant Nick George. “The truck, and everything in my apartment…I lost everything.”
A witness reported that the fire began behind the building. He says he watched as a van already on fire spread to a truck, then to a car and eventually burned its way up the side of the building.
One of the businesses damaged by the fire is Senior Support Services. It helps 400 hundred elderly people in this area. “So all of those records on who’s getting Meals on Wheels and who has a medical appointment that requires transportation are in our office right now” said Leila Thompson.
The building didn’t have a sprinkler system. It was built in 1989. The family who built it is devastated. Sue Slack’s family previously owned the building. “It’s just a really sad day for my family. My dad’s 87 years old, he’s built this up , he just sold it, but it’s been in our family a long time.”
The Fire Marshalls office is investigating. They do not have a cause of the fire yet, but say at this point it is not considered suspicious.
