‘The new normal:’ Vancouver firefighters see 12 fires in 24 hours
Posted August 21, 2023 10:56 pm.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services says it is getting more calls than usual — with 12 call-outs in a recent 24-hour period.
A recent one came in the form of a gasoline fire in a Downtown Eastside dumpster that firefighters say was intentionally set. With drought and wildfires burning across the province, the fire department says this is the new normal.
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Public Information Officer Matthew Trudeau says, with fire calls going up, Vancouver Fire Rescue Services is asking people to be careful as many fires spark from carelessly discarded cigarettes and drugs, or poorly supervised cooking equipment.
“We also had some brush fires — small localized ones in the area. We had a number of SRO fires related to substance and drug use, for butane torches that were dropped inside units, setting SRO units on fire,” he said.
But they’re not all accidents. Trudeau says arsons are up, and the blaze at 109 East Hastings started when someone lit gasoline on fire in a dumpster — the fire then spread to the building.
James Andrew puts on concerts at the building, which is a music venue that has operated for decades on the Downtown Eastside.
“Thankfully, the electrical systems in the building — which are only 10 years old — are working,” they said. “That’s kind of the silver lining — that the building isn’t destroyed.”
“It’s a bit shocking to be the target of arson … we are going to be set back, but we still want to see that space opened, fully restored, as a venue for the community and we’re still really tunnel-visioned on that goal.”
Trudeau says despite getting more and more calls, the fire department has managed to cut down its response time.
“Resources are always helpful. Fire Chief Fry has asked for additional resources from previous studies and funding they’ve done in the past — really emphasizing making sure that our city is protected properly.”
As for the suspected arson, The Vancouver Police Department tells CityNews in a statement that it is still investigating and no arrests have been made yet.
