Vancouver Fire Rescue Services says a firefighter was injured after falling through the floor on scene at a house fire on East Broadway Friday night, while another fire at an apartment on West 1st Avenue left one person with injuries that proved fatal.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Asst. Chief Brian Bertuzzi told Global News crews arrived on scene at West 1st Avenue and Vine Street around 8:30 p.m. to find the suite fully involved in flames.
“The crews responded and knocked down the fire quite rapidly, and discovered a victim with serious burns who’s in critical condition,” he said.
One occupant was taken to hospital with critical injuries, but did not survive.
“The fire was contained to the room of origin in the apartment,” he said.
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There was some water and smoke damage in other areas of the building. Nobody else in the building was injured.
Bertuzzi said the cause of the fire wasn’t immediately clear, but that it is under investigation.
Fire crews were then called to East Broadway near Nanaimo Street, where smoke was showing from a detached unit. The fire had broken out in the middle unit of three boarded up houses.
“Unfortunately we had a firefighter go through the floor on the second story of the building and fell through to the basement,” Bertuzzi said.
“We initiated a rescue and have successfully brought out one of our firefighters.”
Firefighting efforts had to be put on pause while crews focused on rescuing their member.
Bertuzzi said the firefighter was transported to hospital by ambulance in stable condition.
Global News has reached out to BC Emergency Health Services for more information.
The fire will be investigated as suspicious, Bertuzzi said.
“The houses were boarded up and utilities were shut off through the house, so it’s definitely suspicious.”
Bertuzzi said as neighbours had reported people squatting in the home in the past, crews planned to conduct a thorough sweep of the building once the fire had been knocked down to ensure there were no further injuries.
Firefighters had a third serious call involving a two-alarm fire in a single unit of a in a multi-unit residential building at on Carrall Street and Pender Street.
Crews were able to evacuate the building and no one was hurt.
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