One person was taken to hospital, and at least a dozen people have been displaced after a fire at a Port Coquitlam apartment building Thursday.
The Port Coquitlam Fire and Emergency Service says crews were called to the scene near the corner of Atkins Avenue and Mary Hill Road around 9:20 a.m., where smoke was coming from the top of the three-storey building.
Acting Deputy Chief Darren Riley tells CityNews that all occupants had escaped the building by the time firefighters arrived. He then updated the response to a “fourth alarm.”
“The first responding crews went into the building, and we also had exterior firefighting on the Charlie side,” said Riley, referring to the rear of the building.
He says crews knocked the fire down within a matter of hours.
Images from the scene show damage to the top floors of the building.
No firefighters were injured, but Riley says an occupant of the building was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
“It looks like 12 units are displaced at the time being, and we’re not sure when they will be able to return,” said Riley.
The City of Port Coquitlam says emergency support services are available for victims at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre, Wilson Lounge, directly across the street.
Crews closed Mary Hill Road to traffic between Wilson and Kelly avenues and Atkins Avenue in between Shaughnessy Street and Mary Hill Road.
Drivers have been asked to avoid the area.