One male resident was transferred to a Hamilton burn unit after a fire at the Mount Royal Tavern building in Mount Forest on March 9.
As a result of the investigation, Wellington North Fire Service closed the building because fire code violations pose an “immediate threat to life,” said Fire Chief Dave Guilbault in a press release.
At around 8:30pm on March 9, Wellington North Fire Service responded to a reported structure fire at the Main Street building.
Upon arrival, Guilbault said there was heavy smoke coming from the second floor of the building. Approximately 20 residents were evacuated from the second floor and the fire was confined to one unit.
One male resident with third degree burns was transferred from Louise Marshall Hospital to a Hamilton burn unit. Two residents were treated at the local hospital for smoke inhalation and released.
There were no other injuries to firefighters or civilians and the damage is estimated at approximately $10,000.
The cause of the fire, which is being treated as accidental, was a “deadly combination” of “careless smoking along with alcohol consumption while in bed,” said Guilbault, noting the point of origin was the mattress.
