Update 2:
Most residents have been able to return to Bancroft’s R J Brooks Retirement Centre.
The building was evacuated on Thursday morning because of a fire in one of the second storey units.
According to North Hastings Fire Chief Pat Hoover, residents on the first, second, and third floor were allowed back in on Saturday. Those who live in units 201 to 207 will have to wait until this Friday to get back in. Those in units 208 to 211 may not be allowed back until April 3rd.
Hoover says the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is still investigating the cause of the flames. One woman was killed in the fire, but her identity has not yet been released by police. More information will be released as it becomes available.
Update 1:Â
Residents of the R J Brooks Retirement Centre in Bancroft will not be heading back tonight or tomorrow. This comes after a fire broke out in one of the units on the building’s second floor early this morning.
North Hastings Fire Chief Pat Hoover says the goal is to get those living on the first, third, and fourth floors back into the centre by 4:00pm on Saturday. Those who live in units 201 to 207 won’t be allowed back until Friday, March 23rd. Those living in units 208 to 211 may have to wait until April 3rd. Hoover says everyone will be housed and looked after during this time.
He also says the fire marshal has finished its investigation, but still needs an autopsy to be completed before more information about the cause of the flames can be released. One woman was killed in the fire, and police will not release her identity until her family is contacted. Another person was brought to hospital, but has since been released.
Moose FM will provide more information about this story when it becomes available.
The R J Brooks Retirement Centre in Bancroft has been evacuated after a fire broke out early this morning.
Bancroft OPP says an investigation is ongoing, and that the cause of the fire is still unknown. All residents have been moved to the Bancroft Bible Chapel on Hastings Street North, and family members are being asked to visit them there.
One woman was killed in the fire. Her identity has not been released.
Police, the Bancroft Fire Department, the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office, and the Office of the Chief Coroner are all involved with the investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available.
