An overnight fire has destroyed a vacant home in downtown St. John’s, in a neighbourhood that’s been plagued by social issues in recent years.

At about 12:45 a.m. firefighters were alerted to the fire, at number 77 Livingstone Street, by police. When crews arrived from nearby Central Fire Station they found heavy smoke and fire coming from the boarded-up row home. With thick black smoke billowing into the sky, firefighters worked quickly to prevent the spread of the blaze.

Derek Hunt, Platoon Chief with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department (SJRFD) said the fire appears to have started in the basement of the three-storey dwelling, and spread quickly through the entire home. Crews had to contend with boarded-up windows and hazardous conditions inside the home, which is owned by the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

Firefighters cut holes into exterior walls and the roof of the row of houses to prevent spread of the fire to all six attached homes.

While one home was completely destroyed, a neighbouring home, which was also vacant and boarded up, also sustained fire damage. A third home, used in the daytime by a youth assistance organization, sustained some smoke damage. There was no one inside that residence at the time of the fire.

Firefighters remained on the scene for several hours, battling the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This incident comes only three months after a fire on Christmas Day damaged a vacant home on the opposite side of the street. For several years area residents have been expressing concerns about homelessness, vacant homes, and illegal activity in the neighbourhood.

(Photos and Video by Earl Noble / NTV News)