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
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.