Returning home

Many residents of a north side apartment building have started returning home, while others are still waiting at a local hotel after a fire Monday afternoon.

The fire started in a fifth-floor apartment at the 116-unit building on Adelaide Street Monday. The blaze was contained to the single unit, but several of the floors were damaged by water or smoke.

Residents of the first three floors of the seven-storey building returned home Tuesday morning. But fire investigator Rolf Waffler said other residents are waiting at the Prince Arthur Hotel. They are expected to remain there until Wednesday.

"Hopefully by tomorrow there will be an alarm system set up on that fifth floor," he said. "Nobody should be on that floor."

Security will also be necessary.

"There’s water damage obviously on the fourth floor and significant soot on the sixth and seventh floor," Waffler said outside of the building.

The investigation will likely take until Wednesday to finish up and get statements. Waffler said he won’t know the cause of the fire until at least later in the week.

"And then come to some sort of conclusion if I can."