landmark downtown halifax apartment building park victoria catches fire
2 minute read
halifax regional firefighters work to extinguish a fire in an eighth-floor suite in the park victoria apartment building in halifax on saturday.
tim krochak
/
chronicle herald
one of halifax’s most recognizable buildings caught fire on saturday.
an eighth-floor unit in the downtown apartment complex park victoria had flames shooting out its windows by the time halifax firefighters arrived on the scene just before noon. but crews were able to contain and extinguish it fairly quickly, avoiding any large-scale damage at the south park street property.
in accordance with standard protocol, halifax regional fire and emergency district chief brad connors couldn’t give an official cause for the fire until a thorough investigation is completed. but he was able to report there were no fatalities or injuries.
onlookers watch as halifax regional fire crews knock down a fire in an eighth-floor suite in the park victoria apartment building in halifax on saturday.
tim krochak
/
chronicle herald
“the tenants all got out fine and no firefighters were hurt,” connors said. “the fire was on the eighth floor, and extended a bit to the ninth, but we got it out pretty quickly and now we’re just cleaning up.
“crews got in there extremely fast to knock it down.”
early information from connors was that the vast majority of residents would be back in their units before the end of the day.
halifax regional fire and emergency district chief brad connors at the scene of a fire at park victoria apartment building in halifax on saturday.
willy palov
/
chronicle herald
“right now we’ve had to kill the power to the eighth floor, but we’re in the process of getting most of that turned back on; just isolating the fire apartment,” he said. “that one, and maybe the ninth floor apartment directly above it, are probably the only two affected, so the rest (of the tenants) should be able to get back in today.”
many of the park victoria occupants looked on as the fire burned and then stayed nearby to get word on when they could return to their apartments.
“initially, i was not that worried, but then one of my friends called me, and she asked me to check on her apartment,” surha patnaikmi, a six-year tenant, said. “that’s when i got to know that there’s a fire here and then i just got outside to check it out.
park victoria resident surha patnaikmi looks up at the damage from an eighth-floor fire in the building on saturday.
willy palov
/
chronicle herald
“there was a lot of chaos here at first, and then once i got back to this side (of the building), i could see all the smoke. i’m happy they put it out as fast as they did.”
advertisement
fourth-floor residents sean elford and dorion inc expressed their compassion for the tenants in the unit where the fire originated because it was apparent from looking up from the street that the damage to the apartment was significant.
“they probably lost everything, so that’s the really sad part,” elford said. “but one of the things about this building is that, in order to move in, you have to have tenant insurance first. it’s mandatory, so they should at least be covered.”
halifax regional firefighters work to extinguish a fire in an eighth-floor suite in the park victoria apartment building in halifax on saturday.
tim krochak
/
chronicle herald
“i’m also sympathetic to the two apartments above it,” inc added. “i mean, there’s concrete between each apartment, and it doesn’t look like the flames spread into them, but that whole (exterior) wall and those windows are black, so there has to have been some destruction.”
park victoria was built in 1964 and has housed the popular restaurant le bistro by liz in the ground floor for decades. the building is just around the corner from spring garden road and the public gardens. the 21-storey structure was once the tallest apartment complex in halifax at roughly 65 metres, with about 400 apartments.
a halifax regional firefighter works to extinguish a fire in an eighth-floor suite in the park victoria apartment building in halifax on saturday.
tim krochak
/
chronicle herald
share story
