10 displaced after intentionally set fire in Vancouver SRO: officials

Firefighters were called to an SRO building on Granville Street on June 10, 2024.

Ten people have been displaced after a fire was intentionally set at a single-room occupancy building in Vancouver Monday morning, according to officials.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, in a social media post, said crews were called to a building on Granville Street between Nelson and Helmcken streets around 10:30 a.m., closing the road to traffic as a result. After the blaze was knocked down, the department posted an update saying the fire was "incendiary, intentionally set inside a unit" and that police are investigating. Displaced tenants have been connected to emergency social services, the update continued.

CTV News has contacted VFRS and the VPD for more details and this story will be updated when a response is received.

Last month, firefighters rescued a man from a fifth-storey-unit at the same SRO on the same stretch of Granville Street. At the time, spokesperson Capt. Matthew Trudeau said the department gets called to the same stretch of Granville Street "numerous times per day."

Fires at the city's SROs – which present a higher level of risk because of the conditions of the buildings and the vulnerability of the residents – have been a growing concern for firefighters and residents in recent years. A recent report to city council said structure fires in SROs are 67 times more likely than in other residences.