Dryden Fire Chief Chris Wood says their investigation at 10 Victoria Street is complete and the fire has been ruled as accidental.
The fire at the multi-unit senior’s facility was reported around 4:30 a.m. last Wednesday.
When crews arrived, heavy smoke was pouring out of a single unit on the main floor of the building – but fortunately, the fire was contained to one unit and extinguished quickly.
Two residents were treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation, but no injuries were reported. Seniors were evacuated, but they were allowed back into their homes about two hours later by 6:30 a.m.
During this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting at City Hall, Mayor Jack Harrison praised the Dryden Fire Service for their excellent response to the blaze.
“Just want to congratulate the fire department for their quick response. They were able to save the unit and no one was harmed, which was very beneficial,” said Harrison, in his end of meeting comments.
“Unfortunately, in Sioux Lookout, the Kenora District Services Board lost a lot of units there. Quite devastating for that community. We’re thankful that our team was able to get there and put it out before any significant damage was done.”
Moving forward, Chief Wood says the fire service plans to increase public education on fire safety, prevention and evacuation measures at the building – and they’re working with the Kenora District Services Board on any fire policy updates.
