One person remains in hospital with serious injuries after a fire on Chelsea Street Tuesday night.
St. Catharines firefighters responded to reports of a fire at 25 Chelsea St. at 9:30 p.m.
There were four people in the main floor apartment of the two unit building and three people in the upstairs apartment.
One person was taken to hospital with serious injuries relating to smoke inhalation and one cat perished in the fire.
No other injuries were reported.
Damage to the building is estimated at $125,000.
The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal and St. Catharines Fire have concluded their investigation but the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
However, the investigation has determined that smoke alarms in both the main floor and upstairs apartments were not working at the time of the fire
The Ontario Fire Code requires all homes to have working smoke alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas and also requires a working carbon monoxide alarm as applicable.
Acting Fire Chief Jeff McCormick said smoke alarms provide residents with an early warning that there’s a fire in their home and they need to get out fast. He urges residents to also have a home escape plan with two ways out of every room.
“Fire spreads quickly,” said the acting fire chief. “When a smoke alarm goes off, escaping must be second nature. You have to have an escape plan and practice it regularly.”