'It's a pretty traumatic thing': Resident of Rosthern apartment recounts son's exit from burning building
A person is dead following a fire in a Rosthern, Sask. apartment building, according to RCMP.
Emergency responders were called to the building on 4th Avenue in Rosthern around 9 a.m. Thursday, RCMP said in a news release.
All other residents evacuated from the building safely, RCMP said.
Apartment resident Gilbert Baldhead was at work when he received a call from his 19-year-old son saying their building was on fire.
Baldhead says he could see smoke from the highway as he rushed back into town to meet him.
“He was pretty shaken up. He told me what he went through helping the family below us; helping a mother and a child out the front door. Their kids were evacuated on the balcony,” he said.
Gilbert Baldhead lived in the apartment building where a fire broke out on Friday. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti / CTV News)
Baldhead says he knows the person who died.
“It never dawned on me that she was in there,” he said. “It’s a pretty traumatic thing, but just speaking to some of the people around here today, the town of Rosthern is coming to some of the tenant’s aid and I’m thankful for that.”
Baldhead also thanked One Arrow First Nation for putting him and his son up in a hotel room in Saskatoon for a week.
He said his son was still in shock over the incident.
Jason Andres has been the live-in caretaker of the building for four years and says he and his daughter are going to have to find a place to live in the meantime.
“It’s hard. It’s going to be a hard Christmas this year. We’ll survive, I guess. We have lots of family around,” Andres told CTV News.
Andres is unsure how the fire started. He says it’s unlikely many of the units were untouched by thick smoke, saying residents have yet to return to collect their belongings.
“They’re all emotional and sad. They’re very stressed. They have to find a place to live in such a short time,” he said.
Andres and Baldhead say the property manager is working to find homes for displaced residents in Hague and surrounding areas, along with support from the town of Rosthern.
The Hague fire department assisted Rosthern firefighters, with local paramedics and Wakaw RCMP also responding.
The coroner was called to the scene to investigate the death, RCMP said.
-With files from Miriam Valdes-Carletti
The Sask. RCMP says one person is dead following a fire in this apartment building on 4th Ave in Rosthern. (Photo: Facebook/Angel Wall)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.