Port Coquitlam opens community centre for residents displaced by large apartment fire
Firefighters in Port Coquitlam extinguished a large fire in an apartment building on Wilson Avenue overnight.
Images from the scene show smoke, flames and significant damage to the three-storey building.
"I saw the flames going up on the wall, my wife she was sleeping, I woke her up and I'm like get out, lets get out,” said resident Luis Cruz.
After calling 911, Cruz said he rushed to warn his neighbours.
"The smoke was already coming in the hallways, down the first floor,” he said.
Port Coquitlam Fire Rescue says it was called to the scene at 2245 Wilson Ave. just after 10 p.m.
The size of the blaze also forced the evacuation of residents in a neighbouring building.
"Access to this one was a little bit challenging only because of the adjacent building," said Asst. Fire Chief Walt Warner. "Both buildings were quite tight together, but crews were able to get water onto the fire quite quickly."
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but crews do not believe it's suspicious.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said in a Twitter thread Sunday morning that one person had been treated for a burn and one firefighter had been treated for smoke inhalation as a result of the blaze.
Fire crews remained on scene Sunday, continuing to put out hot spots.
An emergency shelter has been set up for displaced residents at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre, and engineers have been called in to assess if the neighbouring building is safe for residents to return.
It’s not yet known where residents of the building that caught fire will be placed over the coming days.
Wilson Avenue was closed between Donald Street and Mary Hill Road due to the fire, the city said, adding that community centre parking could be accessed from Mary Hill and Kingsway.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.