Traffic in downtown Kentville came to a halt Saturday afternoon as firefighters extinguished a fire at 1 Aberdeen St.
Just before 1:30 p.m., Nov. 24, fire and police services were called to the building where smoke was billowing out of a third story window.
Kentville police officers were first on the scene and cleared the building.
“It was pretty engulfed with black smoke,” Const. Angela McWaid said at the scene. McWaid and Const. Kevin Pick were checked by EHS paramedics for smoke inhalation.
Kentville deputy fire Chief Paul Jackson said the fire was in an apartment bedroom and was quickly knocked down.
“It was just contained to the bedroom,” Jackson said. “There was no other damage throughout the building.”
Jackson said the cause of the fire was undetermined.
Both streets were blocked by emergency vehicles for about an hour.
According to McWaid, there were seven apartments in the building and approximately the same number of residents. Residents of the undamaged apartments were able to return later in the day.
Cheryl Bambrick, who owns the Gold Store located on the bottom floor of the building, said there have been issues with smoking in the building in the past.
“We’ve complained to the landlord about the smell of smoke in the building because the tenants upstairs aren’t supposed to be smoking inside.”
When property owner Shawna Porter arrived around 2:30 p.m., she said she preferred not to comment.
Kentville police took a man into custody at the scene.
Const. Pick confirmed later in the day the 34-year-old was arrested for allegedly possessing open liquor and public intoxication and would remain in custody until sober. Other tenants said the man lives in the apartment where the fire was located.
Updated: 11:50 a.m. Nov. 25
Deputy fire Chief Paul Jackson said Nov. 25 the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. He was unsure if the one displaced tenant had found a place to stay.
