An early-morning fire in the centre of St. John’s has caused significant damage to a home, and displaced one person.

Fire crews were called to the home, on Beaumont Street, at about 4:20 a.m. following a call from the homeowner. When firefighters arrived they found the home full of smoke, and upon investigation found fire in the crawl space of the two-storey house. Crews cut into the floor and walls of the home in an attempt to locate the fire.

Within a short time the fire had spread through an exterior wall and into the attic space of the home. Crews cut through the outside of the home and through the roof to extinguish the fire and locate any hot spots.

The homeowner was able to escape the fire unharmed. One cat was removed from the home by the resident, while two more remained unaccounted-for for some time. Crews remained on the scene into the daylight hours. SJRFD Platoon Chief Derek Hunt would later confirm that the other two cats were later found and are OK.

The home sustained extensive fire, smoke, and water damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation.