The Charlottetown Fire Department said it received a call just after 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The department said the fire was caused by a pot of grease sitting on a stove that was left on accidentally.
“There was smoke and flames visible in a window on the first floor and we managed to extinguish the fire fairly quickly,” said Kent Mitchell, the deputy chief.
“It wasn’t a great big fire, but it doesn’t take much of a fire to create a lot of smoke.”
This is the second day in a row that Health P.E.I.-run clinics are closed in the building. According to a news release from Health P.E.I., crews are still cleaning the area and working to remove the smell of smoke.
This means patients are being contacted about new times and locations for their appointments.
The director of community specialty services with Health P.E.I. said staff were able to get into the building after everything was extinguished to get the information they needed to continue with service.
Mitchell said there were people in the building when the fire started but they all got out when the alarm went off.
“This building had a fire alarm system, sprinkler system, so that’s all good. But in any other building we certainly encourage you make sure you test your smoke alarms,” he said.
“It’s a lesson for everybody because it’s the smoke that really causes damage not necessarily the the size of the fire.”
He estimated it could take a few days minimum to have the building all cleaned up.
