Man in critical condition after fire at West End social housing building

A fire in a social housing building in Vancouver's West End sent at least two people to hospital on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (Penny Daflos / CTV News)

Man in critical condition after fire at West End social housing building

A man was taken to hospital in critical condition due to burns and smoke inhalation after a fire at a social housing building in Vancouver Wednesday morning, according to officials.

The fire broke out at Sunset Tower in the West End around 10:15 a.m., according to assistant chief Pierre Morin, who said 48 firefighters were involved in responding to the second-alarm blaze that started in a suite on the 15th floor.

"Crews proceeded to initiate fire attack and do a search. They found one victim who they pulled out and (they) initiated CPR on the floor," Morin said.

"We got control of the elevators and got him down to the lobby where we passed off patient care to BC Ambulance."

One other person was taken to hospital by paramedics, Morin added, saying the woman is undergoing testing for smoke inhalation.

The fire was extinguished relatively quickly and did not spread beyond a single apartment. Morin said there are no sprinklers in the building. However, five units were affected and roughly a dozen people will be displaced.

Responding to a fire in what Morin described as an "elderly-centric" building led the department to marshal a significant response, due to the vulnerability of the residents.

"We had to help a few people down from the fire floor," he said, adding that roughly a dozen other residents have health conditions that required them to shelter in place. Paramedics and firefighters completed wellness checks on those residents after the fire was out.

"It seems like everybody is OK," Morin said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.