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New Years Day fire destroys North Bay apartment, sends one to hospital

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An apartment fire early Wednesday morning sent one person to hospital, destroyed one apartment unit and damaged three others.

An early morning apartment fire on January 1, 2025, sent one resident to hospital, destroyed one apartment unit and damaged three others. (Supplied/North Bay Fire and Emergency Services)

“Yesterday morning at just after 3 a.m., firefighters from all three stations responded to a structure fire in a four-plex apartment building,” North Bay deputy fire chief Greg Saunders said in an email to CTV News on Thursday.

“On arrival, firefighters entered the apartment unit that was completely engulfed in flame and extinguished the fire.”

Saunders said there is “very significant” fire damage to the apartment where the fire started and smoke damage to the other units in the building on Second Avenue East.

One person was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Fire officials said that the cause is still under investigation, but it may have been caused by battery charging equipment that is not CSA approved.

The residents of the apartment were asleep at the time of the fire and alerted to the danger by smoke alarms.

“The alarms provided the residents with the notification required to safely evacuate to safety and call 911,” said Saunders.

“Another clear example that working smoke alarms do save lives.” 

An early morning apartment fire on January 1, 2025, sent one resident to hospital, destroyed one apartment unit and damaged three others. (Supplied/North Bay Fire and Emergency Services)

The Red Cross is supporting displaced residents.

Officials with North Bay Fire and Emergency Services provided the following safety tips for charging batteries:

  • Keep your battery in sight when charging and unplug it when charging is complete.
  • Use the charger that came with your device. If you need a replacement, buy from a trusted source, and ensure it's compatible with your device.
  • Only use chargers that have one of the recognized Canadian certification marks, such as CSA, cUL and cETL
  • Charge your device on a hard surface, not on soft surfaces like beds, couches, or under pillows. Always charge away from exit doors in case of fire.
  • Charge your battery before it drops below 30 per cent for better longevity and safety but avoid keeping it at 100 per cent for long periods.  

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