'Couldn't believe what I was seeing': WRPS officer first to respond to A Better Tent City fire
Two housing units at A Better Tent City in Kitchener were damaged Thursday in a fire.
Emergency crews were called to 49 Ardelt Ave. around 3:18 a.m.
A few minutes later, an officer with the Waterloo Regional Police Service was driving on Highway 7/8 when he noticed the flames.
"I really couldn't believe what I was seeing," said Const. Nolan Di Diomete.
He pulled over to the side of the road and then saw a woman in distress, who said she thought someone was inside one of the units.
Di Diomete then hopped a barbed wire fence, and ran over to help.
"One minute feels like 10 minutes," he recounted. "At one point flames were pouring out of the side window of the fully engulfed unit, which then spread to the secondary adjacent building."
Di Diomete wasn't able to get inside the burning unit, but did get two people out of neighbouring shelters.
The person who lived in that unit was not home at the time, but instead staying with a friend.
Di Diomete was the only one taken to hospital for minor injuries he received from scaling the fence.
"I'm extremely happy that everyone involved in the shelter is OK," he said. "And most importantly, I know the community of Kitchener will rally around the victims affected by this."
"We are incredibly proud of the quick-thinking actions of Constable Nolan Di Diomete," said Police Chief Bryan Larkin in a media release. "[He] showed bravery in running towards the fire and ensuring the safety of residents."
Nadine Green, the site coordinator for A Better Tent City, said residents were left shaken by the early morning fire.
"People were in shock that they didn't hear or see anything," she said. "It was very cold, so it just puts residents out."
A Grand River Transit bus was brought in so residents had somewhere warm to stay while crews worked to put out the flames.
One of the housing units was severely damaged by fire.
"We're going to have to get [the resident] a new cabin," said Green. "They can't stay in that one, it's going to be torn down."
A second unit also had minor damage.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service said the damage estimate is at least $5,000, while Kitchener Fire put it closer to $20,000.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but police don't believe it is suspicious.
-- With reporting by Ricardo Veneza
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.