All the residents of the Forest View Suites (formerly Princeton Towers) north building were evacuated early Sept. 23 after a fire that RCMP suspect was started deliberately.
The City of Thompson says Thompson Fire & Emergency Services (TFES) responded to the fire at 1:28 a.m. and that it was contained to the fifth floor, though many levels of the nine-floor building were filled with heavy smoke.
Thompson RCMP said no injuries were reported but one person was taken to Thompson General Hospital for minor smoke inhalation.
Evacuated residents were asked to report to the Thompson Regional Community Centre Sept. 23 to be accounted for and to register with the Red Cross by 6 p.m. Monday in order to be eligible for 72-hour emergency relief including food, accommodations and other emergency essentials.
A Red Cross spokesperson said Monday morning that the organization was providing blankets to people displaced by the fire while other arrangements were being made.
The City of Thompson said in a press release around 6 p.m. Sept. 23 that the RCMP and Office of the Fire Commissioner had completed their investigations and that TFES had deemed the building unsafe until critical repairs are completed and fire code violations addressed. The building was turned back over to Armour Management, which is responsible for securing the building and allowing occupants to retrieve their belongings and ensuring the building is brought up to fire codes before being reopened for occupancy.
“With the sate of the north tower being what it is, I can’t stress enough how extremely lucky we are not to have lost a life in this fire,” said TFES Chief Mike Bourgon. “To allow residents to return to the building before these issues are fixed would put hundreds of lives back in immediate risk.”
The building’s fire system is inoperable and TFES was alerted to the fire by phone calls from residents. Fire extinguishers were missing from their assigned locations and combustible materials were stored in the electrical room in violation of the fire code. Exit routes were not in good condition or clear from obstructions, fire separations in the building were not properly maintained and emergency lighting was broken or absent. Many exit signs were not illuminated and the elevators were out of order.
RCMP say anyone with information about the fire should call the Thomson detachment at 204-677-6911 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
