Woman found dead in apartment

NEW WATERFORD — A woman was found dead and a man sent to hospital after a fire broke out at a seniors complex early Sunday morning.

Matt Hawley, chief of the New Waterford Volunteer Fire Department, said firefighters first received a call at 5:40 a.m. on Sunday of a blaze at a 12-unit complex on Thompson Street near Mount Carmel Avenue — one of two buildings located diagonally across from St. Leonard Catholic Parish Church.

“When they arrived on scene, they noticed there was smoke coming from (inside) the apartments,” Hawley said. “So they went in to get into the apartment, extinguished the fire — and found a deceased victim inside that apartment.”

Hawley said the deceased was a woman he believed to be in her 60s. The man, also said to be in his 60s, had been sent to hospital after he sustained some burns and smoke inhalation.

Members of the Scotchtown fire department were also paged to help out in extinguishing the blaze, the fire chief added.

The Cape Breton Regional Police were also dispatched to the scene and, according to

Hawley, a police investigation is underway.

"The fire marshals attended the scene with assistance from forensic identification officers and major crime investigators," Desiree Magnus, the police service’s communications/ public relations adviser, said in a statement.

"The deceased has been sent to the Medical Examiner’s office for autopsy to confirm identity and cause of death. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest any suspicion or foul play connected to the fire.”

No other details were made available regarding the victims’ names or damage costs to the apartment.

THREE RESIDENTS DISPLACED

The unit, which faces the former Mount Carmel Elementary school lot, has since been boarded up. Security staff were on scene Monday morning near the apartment where the fire occurred.

A Facebook post from Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier MLA Kendra Coombes said that “we are in contact with the (Cape Breton Island) Housing Authority and are receiving updates. The Red Cross is also involved and are looking after people’s needs at this time.”

Dan Bedell, the Atlantic communications director for the Canadian Red Cross, confirmed the organization “did assist three residents who were displaced … with temporary emergency lodging, meals and other basic items as needed.”

CBRM Coun. Darren O’Quinn, who represents New Waterford, said he had spoken to several residents who lived close to the seniors complex.

“They said they heard some sirens, but thought it was just an ambulance passing by,” he said. “And it appears the damage has just been contained to the one apartment. My hope is that everyone else in there is OK.”