Police called after fireworks ignite in Vancouver condo
A video circulating online is raising eyebrows, and safety concerns, as it shows a number of fireworks exploding either inside a Yaletown condo or on its very small balcony.
The video, which seems to have been shot from a neighbouring building, shows a flash of light in the condo's window. A loud bang can be heard before the person who captured the video zooms in on the fireworks lighting up the suite.
According to firefighters, it happened just after midnight on Jan. 1 in a condo tower across the street from George Wainborn Park.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Service said it sent crews to the building in response to emergency calls about the incident, but when firefighters arrived the people in the unit would not let them in so VFRS called police.
"Anyone setting off fireworks inside a residential building is risking their safety and the safety of their neighbours,” a spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.
Police said there were no reports of injuries or property damage and that the fire department is now in charge of any further investigation.
Even if people in the condo avoid punishment from police and fire officials, they may still have to answer to the building’s strata council which could impose its own penalties.
Mike Williams is on the strata of a nearby building and watched the video while walking his dogs in the park.
"There's an emergency rule that allows us to enter a unit at any time if it's deemed an emergency,” he said. “Well, we would have had to call the cops."
Whether the bizarre incident was an accident or a willful act of destruction, based on the intensity of the fireworks in a small enclosed area, it’s fortunate nobody was injured.
There has not been a large-scale fireworks display to ring in the New Year since 2020, before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. This year, an anticipated event was called off due to issues with costs and logistics. Impromptu, unpermitted displays have been banned in the city for several years, as has the sale of fireworks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.