Man hanging outside 5th storey window during SRO fire rescued in Vancouver

Fire crews were called to a blaze on Granville Street near Howe Street on May 1, 2024.

A man was rescued from outside a fifth storey window of a single-room occupancy building in Vancouver Wednesday morning after emergency crews were called about a fire.

Capt. Matthew Trudeau, public information officer for Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, told CTV News its crews were called at 7:40 a.m. about a fire on Granville Street near Nelson Street.

When crews arrived, they saw heavy fire and smoke coming from the back of the building.

"Crews did go to the back and found a person from the fifth storey window needing imminent rescue so crews did bring a ladder at the back, extend it up to him and was able to rescue an individual in distress from that window," Trudeau said, adding it was "obviously a very challenging scene for that individual."

Trudeau said there was heavy smoke coming from the window that the man was hanging out of.

The man was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and possibly other injuries, Trudeau said. At least one unit in the building has "significant damage" and others are being checked for possible fire, smoke or water damage.

"A sprinkler did activate … which definitely helped fire conditions inside for our crews and probably for the individual," Trudeau said.

Numerous fire calls

Trudeau said VFRS is called to that block of Granville Street – as well as the one next to it – "numerous times per day."

In this case, the cause of fire was "carelessly discarded smokers' materials," Trudeau said.

"We believe it is associated with a butane torch that was left on, directly associated with drug use," he said.

VFRS says smokers' materials are the number one cause of fires in the city. According to data from the agency, locking butane torches and open flames led to six fatalities between January 2023 and March 2024. As well, 79 injuries were reported and use of the devices led to more than 3,100 fires in that time period.