Highrise fire in Vancouver caused by magnifying effect: fire department
A fire on the roof of a Vancouver highrise under construction appears to have been caused by sunlight being magnified by a curved wall of windows.
That’s the determination reached by Vancouver Fire Rescue Services after last Tuesday’s fire on the eighth floor the building on Quebec Street and Fourth Avenue.
In a tweet, Trevor Connelly, VFRS assistant chief of operations, revealed the fire was caused by “magnification of sunlight by a concave shaped wall of windows,” attaching a photo showing charred roof insulation and several windows on the wall blown out.
In an email to CTV News, Connelly said “these types of incidents are rare, however, it does happen.”
One example he pointed to, was the infamous case of the “Walkie-Talkie” tower in London, England.
The building has a curved shape, and had a glare so strong, it melted nearby cars and shops in September 2014. The solution to the solar glare problem was fixed by the erection of a permanent sunshade on the upper floors.
Connelly said he’s only seen such cases “roughly half a dozen times” in his career, including a vase in a sunny window that started a fire in a pillow, and one where a crystal or glass ball started two fires at the same time.
In this latest case on Quebec Street, the fire did extend from the roof into the interior of the building, but crews were able to extinguish it quickly before it spread too far. No one was hurt.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
'Ready to go': Fort McMurray residents prepared for evacuation as crews battle nearby wildfire
An evacuation alert remains in place in the Fort McMurray area on Monday afternoon.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.