Vancouver residents displaced after major fire that likely caused crane collapse

A fire in Vancouver destroyed an apartment building under construction, damaged nine other nearby homes and involved the collapse of a construction crane, the city’s fire department said.

The flames in the city’s Dunbar neighbourhood broke out at about 6:30 p.m. on August 6 and Vancouver Fire Rescue Service said burning embers set off the additional fires, forcing people out of their homes and creating “excessive smoke” in the area of southwest Vancouver.

Keith Stewart, the department’s assistant chief, said in an interview that two of the nine homes have been left uninhabitable, while the rest suffered minor damage.

A statement from the department said roads in the area remain closed to traffic and the crane will take time to clear.

“There are currently no active fires. Firefighters continue to remain on-site to monitor remaining hot spots,” the statement said.

Video posted on social media while the fire was raging shows the crane toppling as a column of thick, black smoke billowed into the sky.

It was the second major fire in Vancouver on Tuesday, after flames broke out at a vacant apartment building that is slated for demolition. The service said the fire along East 10th Avenue began at about 4:30 p.m., and the city’s chief building official has ordered the building to be torn down with work starting in the coming days.

Mayor Ken Sim said during an unrelated news conference that the two fires around the same time stretched the department’s resources “incredibly thin.”

He said his heart goes out to all those who are affected by the fire.

Stewart said the cause of the fire at the Dunbar site and the circumstances that led to the crane collapsing are under investigation.

A couple of firefighters suffered minor injuries battling the blazes, he said.

A statement from the fire service said residents around the fire aren’t yet allowed to return to their homes.

The City of Vancouver has directed displaced residents to Crofton House School at 3200 West 41st Ave., saying city staff were on site to provide assistance.

People outside that block of houses have been allowed to return home, though the fire service said BC Hydro was still working to restore power to some customers.

The statement from the service continued to advise that people with underlying breathing conditions find a safe indoor space.