Overnight fire in Port Moody leaves 126 hydro customers without power
An overnight fire in Port Moody has left more than 100 homes temporarily without power, and destroyed two homes that were under construction.
Port Moody firefighters responded to a structure fire in the town centre near Moody Street and Henry Street around 3:00 a.m., a short walk from Moody Centre SkyTrain station.
“Upon arrival they discovered two homes under construction, both of them with laneway homes attached to the rear, fully involved in fire,” said fire chief Ron Coulson.
Firefighters immediately went into “defensive mode,” with the goal of stopping the fire from spreading to other homes, Coulson said. The homes had been unoccupied and nobody was injured.
“Both buildings appear to be a total loss at this time.”
“I woke up to the sounds of the windows popping,” said neighbour Jillian Hightower, “I looked out the window and it was just like an entire wall of flames. We could feel the heat like inside our house, it was crazy.”
She said her dad’s work truck was parked near the fire and it was so hot, his tail lights melted.
Alastir Hull who also lives nearby said the flames were, “probably up to 40 or 50 feet” in the air.
“It was two homes that were under construction, they had finished framing and had finished roofing so there was no electrical or gas in there but it was basically a massive camp fire.”
He said his biggest concern was for the safety of his fellow neighbours, many of whom came outside in the early hours of the morning to watch what was going on.
“These are under construction so we know no one’s inside or no one should be inside them,” said Hull, “it was concerning because that’s the biggest thing that’s happened out here for a long time.”
A nearby power pole was also damaged in the fire, which is what caused the power outage, said Coulson, who spoke to CTV News Vancouver by phone from the scene.
“There was a wooden pole immediately adjacent to the construction area, so it was impacted by the fire and damaged severely, so (BC Hydro crews) have to actually bring that pole down,” he said, as a chainsaw roared in the background.
“They're working on that right now and, and bringing that pole down and putting a new one in its place.”
According to BC Hydro, 126 customers were affected by the outage which began at 3 a.m. By noon, the company said it expected power to be restored by 5 p.m. BC Hydro told CTV News that the fire also damaged some underground wires which is what caused the outage to those homes.
Photos from the scene show firefighters fighting back high flames and thick heavy smoke billowing from the homes.
When CTV News spoke to Coulson midday, the fire was still ongoing, with crews on scene putting out hotspots.
The cause of the fire will be investigated once the fire is fully out, Coulson said, however the extent of the damage may make it difficult to find an answer. Fire officials have not yet involved the Port Moody police, and would only do so if they deem it suspicious.
“We would invite police to take part in an investigation once we determined that the fire may be incendiary in nature or a set fire, but we're not at that point yet,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.