Man dies of injuries after Vancouver fire, crews say
Posted May 31, 2023 4:21 pm.
Last Updated May 31, 2023 4:25 pm.
Fire crews in Vancouver say the man who was critically hurt in a fire Monday morning has died.
Captain Matthew Trudeau with the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) says the man was taken to the hospital after the fire but has since died.
This comes after officers were called to a residential building near East 6th Avenue and Fraser Street just before 5 a.m. on Monday.
Read more: Vancouver fire leaves 1 seriously hurt: VFRS
The smoke alarms were not operational, VFRS notes, adding the building’s sprinkler system “contained the fire.”
“Investigators determined that the source of the fire was inside the unit related to open flame igniting combustibles in the area and that subsequent fire caused the individual with substantial burns to their body,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau says the fire appears to be related to drug use.
“It was contained to the area of origin, in the sleeping area, where the sprinkler head did ignite from the fire produce enough heat to break the sprinkler head, causing the sprinkler head to go off and it contained the fire there. So there was minimal fire damage extended out from there or smoke damage,” he added.
He says initial reports indicate that the man was 34 years old, however, he says investigators have heard reports that the victim may have been in his 50s.
With files from Michael Williams
