A stubborn house fire on Colonial Street in St. John’s kept firefighters busy Monday night.
The fire was reported just before 10 p.m. and when firefighters arrived on scene they found smoke inside the home and fire in a rear add-on room. The homeowner had already left the home and had been taken in by a neighbor a few doors away. Eastern Health paramedics examined him but he was otherwise unharmed.
Platoon chief Rick DeHann of the St. John’s Regional fire department said the fire was giving them some difficulty due to the age of the home and the fact that, like many downtown homes, it had undergone numerous renovations. Personnel had to bring ladders to the back of the house through a side alley and climb onto the roof of the extension to make sure the fire was contained. The men could be seen cutting holes in the home from the outside in an effort to locate any leftover flames and the fire was declared under control about ninety minutes later.
No information was available as to the cause of the fire or the amount of damage caused to the structure.
