Crews battle 2nd commercial building fire of the day in Vancouver
Firefighters were called to a blaze at a commercial business in East Vancouver for the second time in less than 12 hours Saturday afternoon.
At 3:35 p.m., Vancouver Fire Rescue Service Chief Karen Fry tweeted that crews were responding to a second-alarm fire in the 500 block of East Hastings Street.
An image accompanying the tweet shows smoke billowing out of a one-storey building in the middle of the block between Jackson and Princess avenues.
The engulfed building appears to be the former Uncle Henry's Restaurant, which Google Maps lists as permanently closed.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, VFRS Assistant Chief of Operations Brad Hesse said crews found the building unoccupied and no injuries had been reported.
Hesse added he expected residents of the single-room occupancy building next door to the fire to be able to return to their units as soon as crews were finished at the scene.
"We're very fortunate that side of the building – the apartment building – is all cinder block walls with no windows on it," Hesse said. "So, fortunately, we have very little to no smoke damage inside at this time."
Earlier in the day Saturday, crews were called to a fire at a grocery store in the 700 block of East Broadway. That blaze forced the evacuation of residents from apartments on the building's upper floors, and caused minor injuries to one firefighter.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New non-invasive tool detects early stages of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
Researchers at Carleton University's Department of Electronics in Ottawa created a ground-breaking testing device to detect early signs of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s through biomolecular activities in a person’s saliva.

'Tone-deaf': Singh slams rapporteur Johnston for not stepping down
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh slammed foreign interference special rapporteur David Johnston's refusal to heed the House of Commons' call for him to step down as 'tone-deaf.'
Collapsed platform in Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar last repaired a decade ago: city
The elevated walkway in Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar that collapsed during a school field trip, sending 16 children and one adult to hospital, was last repaired a decade ago.
Jordan's royal wedding gets underway in ceremony packed with stars and deep symbolism
The wedding of Jordan's crown prince to the scion of a prominent Saudi family began on Thursday in a palace celebration that drew massive crowds and a mood of excitement around the kingdom, while presenting the young Hashemite royal as a new player on the global stage.
Hidden camera discovered in washroom at Gatineau, Que. elementary school
Gatineau police say officers responded to a call from staff at l’école l'Oiseau Bleu on Nelligan Street just after 10 a.m. Friday about a camera found in the washroom.
'Both of them had a heart of gold': Family releases statement on engaged couple shot dead at home near Hamilton
The family of an engaged couple who were shot dead following a dispute with their landlord in Stoney Creek over the weekend released a statement of their loved ones, remembering them as 'two beautiful souls.'
Air Canada reports communications system issue, flights operating at reduced rate
Air Canada reported a technical issue with its flight communications system on Thursday, causing delays across the country for the second time in a week.
RBC resolves technical issues with online, mobile banking
The Royal Bank of Canada has resolved a technical issue that temporarily impacted online and mobile banking.
Biden trips after speech addressing U.S. Air Force Academy graduates
President Joe Biden on Thursday thanked U.S. Air Force Academy graduates for choosing “service over self” but said they now have the “great privilege” of leading in a world that will only get more confusing in the years to come. His appearance was punctuated by a stumble onstage after handing out diplomas to graduates.