In the early hours of Sunday, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) responded to a fire incident at the back of 566 West Broadway in Vancouver.
Upon their arrival a little past 12:30 a.m., firefighters were met with thick smoke, prompting the elevation of the situation to a “working fire,” as confirmed by VFRS officials.
Located at the building are two ground-floor businesses at the front, while the second floor accommodates apartments accessible from the rear.
The fire was contained within the cockloft of the four second-floor apartments.
Fortunately, residents from two of the apartments were present and had already evacuated by the time VFRS reached the scene, whereas the occupants of the other units were not at home.
Both the sprinkler system and fire alarms had been activated prior to the arrival of firefighting crews, VFRS reports.
Throughout the night, VFRS personnel tirelessly worked to bring the fire under control.
To aid in the investigation process, the apartments have been secured by boarding them up, as indicated by VFRS.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported among the residents or firefighters involved in handling the incident.
VFRS has classified the fire as suspicious and ongoing investigations are being conducted to determine the cause.