Bathurst fire damages Canadian Red Cross office, but relief efforts continue

The Canadian Red Cross in Bathurst, N.B., is trying to locate and provide assistance to people impacted by a devastating fire overnight Friday, but it's a difficult task because the organization's own office was damaged in the blaze.

The fire, which started around midnight Friday, destroyed four buildings in the downtown area and displaced about 50 people.

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The community's Red Cross office on Main Street, which was located in one of the affected buildings, sustained smoke and water damage.

"Besides anything we're doing to help other people, we're figuring out what we're going to do with our own office here for the next little bit because they don't expect, even if that end of the building is not badly damaged, it's part of a building that will probably the rest of it will have to come down or certainly be sealed off for awhile," said spokesman Dan Bedell.

Jonathan Richardson, part of the Red Cross crew helping people in need of supplies and shelter, says the area of the building where their office was located did not burn down.

"But it is damaged quiteseverelywith some water damage from thehosingand the smoke, so there will be somepeoplecoming to inspect it in the coming weeks to see if we're are going to be able to move back in," he said.

And the fire damage isn't hindering relief efforts, says Richardson.

"Not at all. There's disaster management teams Campbellton, Bathurst, Miramichi they've all come together. We've all been able to bring up our equipment," he said.

The Red Cross is set up temporarily at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre to provide assistance.

Richardson says he and five other people stayed there Saturday night as a result of the fire.

Donations for people who are displaced can be made at the local legion, says Richardson.