Fire at Charlottetown Mall contained, police say
No injuries reported in the fire that began in a fitness centre inside the mall
A fire that broke out Sunday afternoon at the Charlottetown Mall has been contained and no injuries have been reported, Charlottetown police say.
The mall was evacuated after a fire began in the area of the Spa Total Fitness Centre, Sgt. Dave Pound said.
Firefighters who arrived at the scene discovered flames in the facility's sauna.
Elaine Campanaro, of Hunter River, P.E.I., told CBC News that she was working out in the gym at the mall when she saw smoke coming from the men's change room door.
"We started seeing the smoke and thought 'we better get out of here,'" she said. "It was very calm, people weren't panicking."
Then alarms went off to evacuate the building.
Charlottetown Fire Chief Randy MacDonald said there were open flames when firefighters entered the sauna area.
The fire has been extinguished, he said, and crews are now cleaning up.
"One of the two saunas is completely consumed, there's a lot of water damage," he added.
"Right now, our firefighters are in the middle of getting the smoke out of the building."
MacDonald says the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The investigation is continuing.
Charlottetown Mall and Cineplex Theatres are closed until further notice. Please avoid the area. -Dispatcher Cantwell
—@ChtownPolice