Fire Chief Jason Whiteley says an early morning blaze on Percy St. has left a tenant of the building dead.
"At 02:34 North Bay Fire and Emergency Services responded to 374 Percy St., a three-story multi-residential building for a report of a fire," says Whiteley in a news release.
"Crews arrived at 2:38 to heavy flame and smoke from a fire in the basement unit which was extending to the floor above with persons injured and trapped. Fire crews immediately began a primary search and fire attack in the basement unit.
One tenant from the basement unit was found dead and the other was able to escape and was taken by EMS to hospital for injuries sustained in the fire.
"People were beginning to self evacuate so crews went into the basement unit where the fire started and did a primary search and we did find one person deceased," added Whiteley.
One firefighter was treated at the scene for a minor injury but Chief Whiteley says he has returned to work.
"Fire crews were able to do primary and secondary searches of all floors to confirm everyone was out of the building; all other tenants were able to successfully evacuate because of working smoke alarms in the building," explains Whiteley.
District of Nipissing Paramedics were on scene to treat and assess all of the tenants.
There are five units in the building and police are guarding the building until the Fire Marshall arrives to do an investigation.
"Fortunately in this building all the smoke alarms were working so other tenants were able to self-evacuate as we were fighting the fire we did get the whole building searched two times and cleared," Whiteley stated.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. North Bay Fire and Life Safety division and North Bay Police will be assisting the Office of the Fire Marshal with the investigation.
