Crews will remain on scene overnight Monday at a fire in Middle Sackville, that has left an apartment building a total loss.
Halifax Regional Municipality says firefighters will continue to monitor hot spots at 119 Hanwell Drive and will provide updates to the owner when new information becomes available.
About 180 residents were forced from their homes, with 43 of the 64 units now registered with Red Cross.
It was shortly after midnight when Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency says, firefighters were to the scene with flames already running along the outside of the building when firefighters arrived.
District Chief Steve Bussey said the response quickly grew as the scale of the fire became clear.
Sixteen trucks and more than 50 firefighters were on scene at the height of operations.
“Crews encountered heavy fire on the outside of the building on arrival,” Bussey said, noting the attack began on the exterior before firefighters worked their way inside.
Roughly 300 people, including residents of nearby homes, were evacuated as a precaution, with the top floor destroyed and the lower levels heavily damaged by water.
No injuries were reported.
The municipality has opened an evacuation centre at Springfield Lake Recreation Centre to assist displaced residents, with the Canadian Red Cross registering those affected.
-with files from Jacob Moore and Caitlin Snow
