Fire erupts at Surrey apartment building, forcing dozens from their homes
A massive fire erupted at a Surrey apartment building Tuesday evening, forcing dozens of people from their homes.
Witnesses said the flames moved quickly across the roof, and smoke plunged the neighbourhood into darkness.
Firefighters got a call around 5:30 p.m. to the property near 140th Street and 70th Avenue, and worked for hours to get the fire under control. They were still at the scene 12 hours later.
A neighbour told CTV News the fire started on one side of the three-storey wood-frame apartment building, then moved up into the roof. From there, the wind carried the flames across.
"At one point (the flames) engulfed almost the entirety of the roof, and they were shooting a good 10 feet outward and 15 feet upward," area resident Kyle Hall said.
"When the roof would collapse it would gain an insane amount of oxygen."
Neighbours watched from the street, some even bringing water bottles to firefighters trying to work through the intense smoke.
Eighty residents were displaced, including Nicky Britz and her three-year-old daughter.
“This is my worst nightmare – a fire at my condo,” said Britz. She believes the flames spared her unit, but expects the smoke and water damage will be extensive.
“I’m in shock. I feel for my neighbours that have lost everything. This is going to be a very long-term fix.”
On Thursday afternoon, fire crews continued to put out hotspots on what they described as an extremely stubborn blaze. Firefighters tackled the flames from above and through the interior, but getting to the flames proved to be challenging.
“We had logistics that were difficult to get the aerials in close,” said Shelley Morris, assistant fire chief with the Surrey Fire Service.
“We had some rapid spread in the interior. It’s a very large building. There’s a lot of hot spots in the attics in some of the void spaces, so it did some extensions through there.”
Officials said there had been no reports of injuries, and that it was too early to determine a cause. That will be part of the investigation when it's safe enough to go inside. However, residents had an idea of what might have sparked it.
“There’s speculation that it could’ve been a barbecue gas cannister,” said Britz. “It didn’t explode, but it caught fire somehow.”
Surrey Fire said residents would not be allowed back inside to gather belongings for at least a couple of days.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Kendra Mangione and Alissa Thibault
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.