BRIDGEWATER, N.S. - Phyllis Meisner had her teeth and her sense of humour, and that's all she needed after safely escaping a fire in her apartment building early Tuesday.
She left her third-floor apartment clad only in her nightgown, house coat and slippers after awaking to what she thought was a vacuum cleaner.
"I opened the door to see who was vacuuming," and that's when she realized it was the building's fire alarm. There was no sign of any smoke.
"I went out on my deck and someone was yelling, 'Get out, there's a fire! There's a fire!"'
Red Cross officials reported that no one was injured in the blaze, which is believed to have started in a second-floor apartment rented by a fire marshal's sister.
Meisner was one of a handful of the 50 displaced tenants to take refuge at the legion in Bridgewater where the Red Cross provided food, blankets, company and personal hygiene products.
When Meisner fled, she left her false teeth behind soaking in a container in the bathroom.
"I thought they were going to have to feed me soup," she said with a giggle.
She enjoyed moist muffins for breakfast, then some Red Cross workers went back to the building and got her some clothes, shoes, and her teeth and glasses.
With the exception of residents of three apartments affected by the fire who made other arrangements for accommodations, the others were given the OK to return home later Tuesday.
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