Morden families homeless after apartment fire

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This article was published 22/05/2010 (5710 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Residents of the town of Morden are rallying this weekend to help several families whose apartments were damaged in a fire early Friday morning.

A three-storey, 24-unit, wooden apartment building was badly damaged in fire that was caused by careless smoking just before 1 a.m. Friday.

"It was one of the top five fires in the past 10 years," Morden fire chief Andy Thiessen said this morning. "Five of the suites were damaged by the fire and there was water damage to about a half of the remaining ones."

Thiessen said all the tenants were evacuated safely but it would likely be several months before the building could be repaired and tenants allowed to return.

Thiessen placed the damage estimate in excess of $1 million.

The apartment building is in the middle of a residential neighbourhood and Thiessen said several of the nearby residents have opened their homes and taken in many of the apartment tenants. Some are also staying in a local hotel.

Thiessen said local churches are collecting clothing and other household goods for the families who lost everything in the fire.

The fire department from Winkler was called in to help the local volunteers. Thiessen said it took two hours to bring the fire under control and another four hours until all the hot spots were extinguished.