More than 80 senior citizens were forced out of a Niagara Falls retirement home on Wednesday after a fire erupted at the residence.
Smoke could be seen coming out of the second floor windows at Cavendish Manor on Dunn Street after the blaze broke out at about 11 a.m.
Eleven seniors were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, but most had been released by Wednesday afternoon. All of the victims were expected to fully recover.
Officials said injuries were kept to a minimum because dozens of firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes. Several nearby residents also helped with the rescue.
"I grabbed the ladder from my backyard, put it up to the window and climbed in the window and pulled people down," said one man named Bill.
Niagara Fire Chief Lee Smith said the situation was dangerous because of the thick smoke migrating through the hallway.
Many hotels have offered rooms for those who can't go home to family, and others will stay at a nearby seniors' home.
The Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire, but foul play is not suspected.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness
