Dozens of residents are out of their homes after an early morning fire ripped through an East Vancouver apartment building Thursday morning.
Fire broke out in a fourth floor suite around 2:30 a.m. in the building at 2633 East Broadway, near Slocan.
The fire grew quickly and crews moved swiftly to rescue tenants, including an elderly man who was stuck on an upper level balcony in the high-rise.
"They were hanging out on the balcony and we put up the ladder and put him down," Vancouver Fire Battalion Chief Jack Steele said.
Six people were taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
Three cases are said to be "significant," while the remaining three are relatively minor.
Steele said it was a "pretty exciting" fire.
"When we got here there was a lot of smoke pouring out," Steele said.
"The initial fire tack crew did a great line using house lines to put out the fire."
A city bus was brought in to give residents shelter from the rain. Most were in their pyjamas.
Fire investigators said it looked like the fire started on a mattress and it was likely from someone smoking.
