Firefighters battle overnight blaze at abandoned 'party' house in Horseshoe Bay

Fire crews from two cities spent Thursday night battling a blaze at an abandoned house in Horseshoe Bay.

Chief Karen Fry posted a photo on social media of the efforts to fight the fire from the water, saying crews with Vancouver Fire Rescue Service had been "working hard all night" assisting firefighters from the West Vancouver.

In an email Friday morning, Assistant Chief Keith Stewart said the request for the VFRS fire boat came in at 11:30 p.m. because the fire was "fully involved" and nearly impossible to access on the ground.

"The structure was very close to the water and had limited to no road access with steep terrain and thus the need for the fire boat," he said, noting that the West Vancouver Department was the lead agency responding to the blaze.

A spokesperson for WVFR, in a statement, said a BC Ferries passenger called 911 to report the fire around 11 p.m. She also described some of the challenges crews faced trying to contain and extinguish the fire. The department sent three engines, along with a wildfire truck and a tower truck to the scene before calling in support from the water, it said, adding that the fire boat was "effective" in fighting the flames.

"After the initial knockdown of the fire using the fire boat, West Vancouver fire crews deployed wildfire pumps and hose, using water from the ocean, to establish control lines to extinguish spot fires and continue to action the structure fire that, although under control, was still burning," the emailed statement explained.

"Crews worked through the night to maintain control lines and keep water on the fire."

In addition to municipal firefighters, the BC Wildfire Service, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, and the West Vancouver Police Department were called in to assist.

No one was found during a search of the house and surrounding area. No injuries have been reported but WVFR says paramedics were on standby through the night because the challenging terrain raised concerns for firefighter safety.

As of Friday morning, the fire was under control with crews working to put out hot spots.

West Vancouver officials have confirmed that the house that burned down is the same one that was dubbed a "party house with a view" by a local photographer on Twitter.

Party house with a view. #WestVan pic.twitter.com/6MGFXAokR8

— Mark Teasdale  (@MarksGonePublic) January 17, 2023