Fatal fire on Albert Street West

One man is dead after a kitchen fire in an apartment building late last night on Albert Street West.

"A male victim was taken by ambulance to the hospital," City Police said in a statement released this morning. "The name of the victim will not be released until his identity can be confirmed and next of kin is notified."

Firefighters were called to the three-story building in the 500 block at 11:16 p.m.

Initial fire-suppression efforts took about one hour, but they managed to confine the blaze to the kitchen of one apartment,

All units in the building suffered from smoke damage, however.

Residents of second floor displaced overnight

Residents of the five apartments on the building's second floor were forced from their units overnight while an investigation proceeded into the cause of the fire.

Captain Joe May of Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services tells Sootoday.com that the fatal blaze is being investigated by his department, as well as the Ontario Fire Marshall's office and the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.

Three pumper crews and one rescue unit responded to the alarm, with a total of 14 fire personnel involved.

The Sault Ste. Marie office of the Canadian Red Cross helped the second-floor residents who were displaced overnight.

They won't be allowed to return to their apartments until the on-site investigation is completed.

The Ontario Fire Marshall's investigator is expected to arrive in the Sault later this morning.

SooToday.com will publish additional information about this fire as soon as it's released.