Man hanging outside 5th storey window during SRO fire rescued in Vancouver
A man was rescued from outside a fifth storey window of a single-room occupancy building in Vancouver Wednesday morning after emergency crews were called about a fire.
Capt. Matthew Trudeau, public information officer for Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, told CTV News its crews were called at 7:40 a.m. about a fire on Granville Street near Nelson Street.
When crews arrived, they saw heavy fire and smoke coming from the back of the building.
"Crews did go to the back and found a person from the fifth storey window needing imminent rescue so crews did bring a ladder at the back, extend it up to him and was able to rescue an individual in distress from that window," Trudeau said, adding it was "obviously a very challenging scene for that individual."
Trudeau said there was heavy smoke coming from the window that the man was hanging out of.
The man was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and possibly other injuries, Trudeau said. At least one unit in the building has "significant damage" and others are being checked for possible fire, smoke or water damage.
"A sprinkler did activate … which definitely helped fire conditions inside for our crews and probably for the individual," Trudeau said.
Numerous fire calls
Trudeau said VFRS is called to that block of Granville Street – as well as the one next to it – "numerous times per day."
In this case, the cause of fire was "carelessly discarded smokers' materials," Trudeau said.
"We believe it is associated with a butane torch that was left on, directly associated with drug use," he said.
VFRS says smokers' materials are the number one cause of fires in the city. According to data from the agency, locking butane torches and open flames led to six fatalities between January 2023 and March 2024. As well, 79 injuries were reported and use of the devices led to more than 3,100 fires in that time period.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship for not following orders after traffic fatality
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Jessica Biel hopes to normalize the conversation around menstruation with a new children's book
Jessica Biel is the author of a new children’s book focused on destigmatizing and normalizing the conversation around menstruation.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.