2 sent to hospital following Charlottetown apartment fire

Two people were taken to hospital for injuries in an apartment fire Saturday night on Edward Street in Charlottetown.

The Charlottetown Fire Department received the call at about 10:15 p.m., said fire inspector Winston Bryan. The building houses nine residents.

Bryan said the focus of the investigation is on the "third level of the property."

Two people had to be transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bryan said.

One was rescued by Charlottetown police from a second-level roof. The other victim was rescued from the third level of the building by Charlottetown firefighters. 

Bryan said while the building had fire alarms, there were no sprinklers. 

The requirement for a sprinkler system in a residential building in Charlottetown is based on the number of storeys, the type of construction and the building area.

Generally, a three-storey residential building is not required to have sprinklers unless it exceeds the building-area limits. 

In July, a major apartment fire on Harley Street prompted the Charlottetown Fire Department to advocate for more sprinklers to be added to city apartments. 

The Canadian Red Cross is helping displaced residents with accommodations until they can return.

David Grifin, a third-floor resident and one of the two people who went to hospital, said he heard someone yell, 'fire,' as he was getting ready to go to sleep. 

He saw smoke come out from the top of his door and, "I went to open my door and the flame was right there..."

Grifin said he proceeded to the bathroom to grab some belongings but quickly realized the flames had reached his bathroom as well.

He tried to make it back to the bedroom but had to escape through a window. "Scraped all my arm and my leg," he said. 

He said he doesn't know the extent of damage to his property. He does not have tenant insurance.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

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