Tenants and their animal companions were displaced from their pet-friendly James Bay apartment building on Tuesday evening after a fire broke out in a third-floor unit.
Superior Street between Menzies and Oswego streets was closed to traffic as the Victoria Fire Department fought the blaze at 443 Superior St, a 73-unit, four-story building managed by Capreit property management.
Seventeen Victoria firefighters responded to the call and Saanich firefighters was on standby.
Two tenants and a Victoria police officer were treated for smoke inhalation, said Battalion Chief Wayn Moody of the Victoria Fire Department.
The fire was contained to one unit, but Moody said another four units were damaged by smoke or water.
“The whole block was full of smoke outside, both sides,” he said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, he said, but an investigator was on the scene.
“It’s nice to see them getting all the cats and dogs out of the building,” said Allison Sweet.
Phil Jones, 40, wasn’t sure where he and his wife and their 14-pound poodle-papillon cross Ty were going to end up. But Monika Grzegorzek was clearly relieved to have a friend willing to shelter her and her Great Dane, Shorty, who weighs 100 pounds.
