Former church catches fire in Surrey

Firefighters were called to a blaze at a former Surrey church building Wednesday afternoon.

The Surrey Fire Service says it was called to reports of a structure fire on 184 Street near 70 Avenue just before 3 p.m.

“Upon arrival, crews discovered heavy smoke and visible flames coming from the front side of a two-storey church building, with a vehicle parked close to the structure,” said Asst. Fire Chief Greg McRobbie.

He says a 13-person crew knocked down the fire quickly, no one was inside, and the crew cleared the scene by 4:20 p.m.

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McRobbie explains that the building, once a church, was most recently a performing arts theatre called Surrey Little Theatre, but is now a private residence.

The Surrey Police Service reports that a resident of the building was performing vehicle maintenance when the fire started.

“Fire inspectors will be investigating the cause of the fire,” said McRobbie.