Firefighters douse Carlton Street blaze

Fire damaged a house at 1479 Carlton St. in Halifax at around noon on Monday.

No residents were inside the two-and-a-half storey townhouse at the time.

Flames poured out of the front door and smoke spilled out from the upper windows as firefighter crews arrived.

Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency said the fire occurred on the building’s first floor and stairwell. According to district chief Adam MacNeil, crews arrived within four minutes of the fire being reported and were able to extinguish it quickly.

“There was heavy fire throughout the first floor,” he said.

Crews assessed the damage and searched for smaller fires in the building into the afternoon.  

“Crews did a great job knocking it down, (and) made a quick entry (in) fast attack mode,” he told reporters outside the house. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

None of the building’s residents were on site at the time. Neighbour Ellise Gallant said there are multiple units within the building, with one family living on the upper floor where smoke was pouring out.

Gallant was home with her two sons when she smelled smoke and rushed out to Carlton Street.

“We noticed smoke in the bathroom and on the upper level,” she said. “I came down, got my sons, and we got out.”

About 20 firefighters responded to the incident. While no residents were inside the building, firefighters could not resuscitate a cat found inside.