Arrest made after ‘suspicious fire’ in East Vancouver
Posted May 5, 2023 8:33 am.
Last Updated May 5, 2023 12:10 pm.
A massive fire at a house under construction in East Vancouver Friday morning has been deemed suspicious, and one person has been arrested.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Assistant Chief of Operations Ken Gemmill says fire crews were alerted to the thick smoke and flames just before 8 a.m.
On duty crews are fighting a residential structure fire in the 1900 block of Venables. #vanworkingfire Millin See pic.twitter.com/lIHi1HShO6
— Van Fire Fighters (@IAFF18) May 5, 2023
Fire in the 1900-block of Venebles St in Vancouver this morning. Videos are from about 7:48am. Appears to be under control now. Building was an unoccupied new-build. https://t.co/ZL7f7AkD7T pic.twitter.com/UKHXEimKbO
— Kyle Surovy (@kylevskyle) May 5, 2023
The fire on Venables Street between Victoria Drive and Semlin Drive was upgraded to a two-alarm fire immediately by the first responding crew, and about 40 firefighters attended the scene.
“The house under construction had flames approximately 20 foot high coming from the roof. The House on the east and the house on the West was the main priority to make sure we gathered loss of water on both those houses so they wouldn’t start fire,” Gemmill told CityNews.
“They evacuated those two houses and they went to attack the fire, the house that was under construction, from the outside because the heat and the flames are so large that they couldn’t enter.”
@VanFireRescue Seeing thick back smoke billowing somewhere in East Vancouver from my balcony in lower Lonsdale. pic.twitter.com/fANx0Oor1U
— Lady (@Ladamedemocracy) May 5, 2023
— Don Andrews (@donsvoice) May 5, 2023
Vancouver Police Department officers were on the scene, Gemmill adds, and says one person is now in custody after initial investigations show the fire seems to be “suspicious.”
There are no injuries reported, and the fire has been extinguished, Gemmill says. While the houses on either side were not damaged by flames, they do have smoke damage. One resident has been offered emergency housing, Gemmill says.
Footage posted to social media showed flames and smoke billowing into the air near the intersection of Victoria Drive and Venables Street.
Gemmill adds more information regarding the cause will be shared later Friday.
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