The City of Vancouver is giving the owner of an illegal rooming house that went up in flames on Tuesday night, killing three men, until mid-January to demolish the property.
The fire broke out just before midnight at a home in the 2800-block of Pandora Street. Investigators say seven men were living in the home at the time; three managed to escape the fire unharmed while another was rescued by firefighters and rushed to hospital.
Three others were killed. Investigators say the fire was caused by sparks coming from a faulty extension cord connected to an old set of Christmas lights.
Documents released by the city this week reveal a history of bylaw infractions at the home that go back years.
Related: Read the full documents here
A Nov. 5, 2010 inspection found nine people living in the home, including one person who was sleeping on the floor near the kitchen. The property is only approved for use as a single family dwelling.
Inspectors also found holes in the walls, broken window panes, mold on walls and ceilings, a broken furnace, leaky pipes and a lack of smoke alarms.
The owner was ordered multiple times to comply with city bylaws and stop renting to tenants.
There were smoke alarms in the home when it caught fire on Tuesday, but it is not known if they were working.
The city says it cannot remove the building immediately, but will request authorization from council to do so if it is not demolished by Jan. 14, 2011.
Inspectors say the property is not an immediate risk to the neighbours' safety.
