AMHERST, NS – Excavators have been brought in to demolish what remained of an apartment building in downtown Amherst  after a fire ripped through the four-storey structure.

More than 30 tenants were forced from Victorian Arms Apartments when the blaze broke out Sunday night.

One person was treated for smoke inhalation.

The Canadian Red Cross said most of the tenants escaped the burning century-old building on Victoria Street with just the clothes on their backs.

A spokeswoman said 34 people, including six children, had registered with the Red Cross to receive emergency shelter, food and clothing.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

Several businesses were affected by the blaze, which also forced the evacuation of an adjacent building that houses the Amherst police.

The apartment building housed 29 units, a pool hall and some smaller businesses.