Fire destroys shelter for women, families in First Nation near the Sault

A fire has closed a shelter for women and families fleeing abuse in Batchewana First Nation, just outside of Sault Ste. Marie.

Chief Mark McCoy said the building is a write-off after a blaze yesterday afternoon.

A fire has closed a shelter for women and families fleeing abuse in Batchewana First Nation, just outside of Sault Ste. Marie. (Photo from video)

"The shelter Niimki Naabkawagan is a place of safety, for women and children in our community, people leaving, domestic situations," McCoy said.

"People that … are down on their luck are displaced right now, and then this happens. It's not good. It's not good at all."

The Sault Ste. Marie Fire Department responded around 2 p.m. Wednesday to calls of heavy smoke and, eventually, large flames coming from the shelter.

"The information that I've been given so far was that it wasn't a suspicious fire," McCoy said.

"There was a garage or a shed in the back and it started back there. And because of the wind direction, it jumped to the crisis shelter quickly."

He said the First Nation will be rebuilding the shelter, bigger and better than before.

A fire has closed a shelter for women and families fleeing abuse in Batchewana First Nation, just outside of Sault Ste. Marie. (Photo from video)

It's not yet known how long that could take, but the women and families are currently staying in a local hotel. The Sault's Women in Crisis group is helping people who have been displaced and organizing donations for them.

• Download the CTV News app now
• Get local breaking news alerts
• Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox

"We're currently looking for clothes, blankets, you know, any household items that … make people more comfortable," McCoy said.

"We have had community members reach out for donations ... The community's (response) has been good."

There were no injuries and all the families inside the shelter were able to escape in time.

Officials with the First Nation have spoken with their counterparts at the City of Sault Ste. Marie, as well as the federal government, which has offered support wherever it's needed.