District Chief Gerry Morris says despite initial reports that someone was trapped on the second floor, the building's only tenant was not at home when the fire broke out at 2:30 this afternoon.
Morris says the flames spread quickly and were difficult to knock down. He says he made a decision to pull crews from the building at one point for fear of the roof collapsing.
Crews managed to keep the fire from spreading to neighbouring homes, but the vinyl siding of a home next-door melted under the fire's intense heat.
Ann MacDonald is related to the woman whose house suffered heat damage from the blaze.
She says she's thankful the adjacent home only suffered heat damage, but everyone is still worried and scared.
McDonald was one of many from the neighbourhood who stood on the sidewalk watching crews try and douse the flames through a sea of swirling black smoke.
