Explosion at the Astoria Hotel in Vancouver
Posted February 17, 2022 9:33 am.
Last Updated February 17, 2022 6:49 pm.
There’s been an explosion at Vancouver’s Astoria Hotel along East Hastings Street.
It happened in one of the suites on the second floor Thursday morning.
“It blew the window out with glass across the street,” said Brad Hesse, assistant chief of operations, Vancouver Fire.
He says one person was burned in the explosion and resulting fire, which has since been put out. The man appears to be in stable condition, Hesse adds.
An explosion at Vancouver’s Astoria Hotel forced the building’s evacuation on Feb. 17. One person suffered burns, crews say. (Monika Gul, CityNews Photo)
The explosion and fire created a lot of commotion in the area.
“There’s one room and a lot of smoke coming out of it,” Sylvia Isaac, who lives in the area, recalled.
“There was a really big bang and a window just blew out from someone’s room,” she added.
Hesse says the fire was contained to one suite and sprinklers were activated. The extent of the damage is unclear at this time.
“All residents are out right now. The decision to let them back in just hasn’t been made yet,” Hesse said just after 9 a.m.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown. The man who was hurt was in the suite where the explosion happened.
The area around Hastings Street and Hawks Avenue is closed in all directions.
