Residents of a Belleville apartment building got an unexpected wake-up call early this morning as an apartment fire destroyed one unit and sent the entire building’s residents out into the cold November night.
The fire, at 255 Yeomans Street North near College Street, started just after midnight in a third floor apartment.
No one was injured, but flames destroyed the entire unit where the fire started and flooded the hallways with thick black smoke.
Deputy Fire Chief Mark Shannon said that the fire started in the kitchen of the destroyed unit, and some of the surrounding units might suffer some water damage.
“It breached into the ceiling and was just about to go into the attic,” said Deputy Shannon. “Firefighters managed to knock it down and put it out before it migrated anywhere else in the building.”
Donna Collingridge, a resident in the unit next to the one where the fire started, said she had so little time to get out she barely had time to get dressed.
“I was sleeping, and the fire alarm went off,” said Ms. Collingridge. “The very first thing I did was open up the door, and then I knew to quickly get dressed because it was filled with smoke, and it smelled like plastic.”
A city bus was called to help keep the displaced residents warm while the building was ventilated.
