An early morning fire at the Fort La Tour historic site has been deemed ‘suspicious’ by Saint John Police.
Fire crews were called to the scene along Harbour Passage shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday.
“We had heavy flames coming from the side of the building, extending into the roof of the building when we first arrived,” Ed Moyer, a platoon chief with the Saint John Fire Department, said in an interview.
A fire damaged a building at Fort La Tour in Saint John on May 19, 2021. (Image: Elizabeth MacLeod)
Moyer said crews extended two hose lines to the building and knocked down the flames within 20 minutes.
But despite the quick work of firefighters, Moyer said the damage to the building is “quite significant.”
Fort La Tour dates back to the 1600s and the archeological site was designated a national historic site in 1923.
The site recently underwent a $1.8-million redevelopment to add building replicas of old forts, walking paths, and an outdoor amphitheatre.
Darling asks residents to avoid the area
Mayor Don Darling took to social media on Wednesday morning expressing his sadness about the fire.
“This was a project that took many years to complete. While we’re not sure of the cause, if this was set on purpose, it will have been a senseless act,” Darling said in a post on Twitter.
Darling posted a live video to Periscope asking residents to stay away while protective services are investigating.
“I’ve gotten reports that people have been down inside the building, touching things, obviously there’s still an investigation underway,” Darling said.
“You need to stop. Please share with your friends and family: don’t go down to the site. We need to stay out of the way.”
There is no word yet on what caused the fire. Fire investigators remained on the scene as of early Wednesday morning.
Fort Latour fire https://t.co/VU4gSzCxrI
— Don Darling (@dondarlingSJ) May 19, 2021
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