One person was taken to hospital late Saturday night following a fire breaking out in the Friendship Lodge.
Prince George Fire Rescue crews were called to the Queensway Street residence at 11:45 p.m. Saturday where they found light smoke and a sprinkler head activated in a ground-floor suite.
One person had been dragged from the suite by an on-duty staff member and was given emergency medical treatment on site before paramedics took them to UHNBC.
The fire was put out quickly, and the sprinkler shut off to prevent further water damage. All other Friendship Lodge tenants were back in their suites within an hour and damage was limited to the apartment contents with minor fire and moderate water damage.
An investigation determined the fire was accidental and was caused by smoking in the presence of oxygen therapy.
Fire chief John Lane cautioned anyone against smoking or having an open flame close to oxygen use, which can accelerate combustion.
"The successful rescue of the patient and limited damage to the suite underscores the value of early fire detection by smoke alarms, and the effectiveness of sprinklers in helping to limit fire spread," Lane said.
