Three Canadian firefighters on a roof had a close call when a gas explosion occurred just under the peak.
The resulting fire ball filled the night sky as Moncton firefighters scampered to safety.
"It is amazing that no one got hurt. We could have easily lost three firefighters as a result of that gas explosion underneath the peak roof," Fire Chief Eric Arsenault told reporters.
The building housed a specialty food store and three apartments. Five people were left homeless.
"We have had firefighters on scene throughout the entire night. We are still battling a very stubborn fire at this time," he said adding "This is six hours almost seven hours after it started. Unfortunately, the building is a complete loss."
He noted that conditions added to the firefighters' challenges.
