'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
UPDATED | Ont. and Que. scramble to recover from thunderstorm that left at least 8 dead
Clean-up efforts are underway after a massive thunderstorm on Saturday left a trail of destruction in Southern Ontario and Quebec.

What is a 'derecho'? Climatologist explains Saturday's powerful storm
The storm that moved across Ontario and Quebec Saturday is known as a 'derecho', a powerful kind of windstorm that is long lasting and far-reaching.
How concerned should we be about monkeypox?
Global health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa. Here's what we know about the current outbreak and the relative risk.
Officials expect 3 to 4 days to restore power across Ottawa following storm
Hydro Ottawa says it will take several days to restore power and clean up after a severe storm damaged hydro poles and wires on Saturday.
43 CP Rail cars carrying potash derail east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
Clean up is underway after 43 CP Rail train cars carrying potash left the track Sunday morning east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
78,000 pounds of infant formula arrives in U.S.
A military plane carrying enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis, the first of several flights expected from Europe aimed at relieving a shortage that has sent parents scrambling to find enough to feed their children.
Russia is pressing its offensive in eastern Ukraine
Russia pressed its offensive in eastern Ukraine on Sunday as Poland's president traveled to Kyiv to support the country's European Union aspirations, becoming the first foreign leader to address the Ukrainian parliament since the start of the war.
Flames engulf Indigenous-owned resort in B.C. Interior
Guests at an Indigenous-owned resort in B.C.'s Interior were evacuated Sunday morning and watched as firefighters tried to contain the flames that had engulfed the building's roof.
Court to decide whether Happy the elephant deserves basic human rights
New York's highest court is set to determine whether Happy, a 47-year-old Asian elephant living at the Bronx Zoo, is being unlawfully imprisoned.