A historic building in downtown Moncton has suffered water damage following an early morning blaze, according to fire officials.
Platoon Chief Brian McDonald of the Moncton Fire Department said they were called to the McSweeney Building just after 2 a.m. Sunday.
McDonald said firefighters were directed to the rear of the Main Street building, where they located a fire burning on the top floor of the three-storey building.
“From the ground, we could see flames up on the third-floor landing of the fire escape,” McDonald told our newsroom Sunday morning.
“We promptly put the fire out. The fire had gotten into the building as well, so the sprinkler system was activated.”
The sprinkler system contained most of the fire, he said, and firefighters extinguished the remaining flames.
McDonald said the building sustained “a fair bit” of water damage due to the activated sprinkler.
“Sprinkler systems are designed to contain and hold a fire. They’re not necessarily completely extinguish a fire,” he said.
“So the sprinkler system did what it was supposed to do. It contained the fire to the rear on the third floor of the building.”
Built in 1901, the 124-year-old building is home to several businesses, including Tide and Boar Gastropub and McSweeney’s Dinner Theatre.
In a post on its Facebook page, Tide and Boar said it would be closed on Sunday “due to a fire in a neighbouring part of the building.”
“We will update further as more information becomes available,” said the post.
McDonald said fire investigators are currently on the scene trying to determine what caused the fire. No injuries were reported.
