Fire in downtown Vancouver displaces over a dozen residents

Three people have been taken to the hospital and more than a dozen others are out of their homes after an apartment fire in downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services says it responded to the scene on Pacific Street between Thurlow and Bute streets around 3:40 a.m.

Assistant Chief Keith Stewart tells 1130 NewsRadio flames first broke out on the sixth floor.

“We were able to perform a couple of rescues. We used our ladder truck, which is our tower. We had a bucket truck. We were able to get people on the balcony on the sixth floor as well as we rescued two people from the roof above,” said Stewart.

He says crews were able to knock down the fire quickly, but the building was damaged by smoke and water. Some occupants, Stewart says, needed medical attention.

“There was one occupant from the suite that we were able to get outside, and that person was one of the three people that were transported to hospital with smoke inhalation. We don’t have any confirmed reports of anybody with burns.”

He estimates between 15 and 20 people will not soon be able to return to their homes.

Pacific Street was closed to traffic but has since reopened.

Stewart says crews are still on scene mopping up and emergency social services is helping those who were displaced.