Update: Fire tears through 36-unit Chilliwack housing complex

When they arrived, crews encountered heavy smoke and fire at the rear of the building and occupants actively evacuating.

Fire crews established a water supply and initiated an aggressive interior fire attack, while also conducting searches for occupants under challenging fire conditions.

As crews continued to arrive and the resource requirements increased, an all-call was initiated, resulting in all six Chilliwack Fire Department halls responding to the incident, Assistant Fire Chief Minar said. Approximately 70 firefighters attended. One resident and one firefighter sustained injuries and were assessed by BC Emergency Health Services.

Firefighters also rescued a cat from the building and provided emergency care on scene before it was reunited with its owner.

Fraser Valley Today has since learned that the cat who was saved is named Max. The cat came out of the building after being found under a couch and was deemed nearly lifeless. It took at least an hour to get the cat back to where he was responsive, and he was sent to a 24-hour animal hospital in Abbotsford where he was slated to stay in an oxygen room overnight. The cat received CPR and was air bagged with oxygen.

Assistant Fire Chief Minar says Emergency Support Services established a reception centre to assist displaced residents.

A total of 36 apartment units were impacted.

The building sustained significant fire, smoke, and water damage, with the most extensive damage occurring on the third floor.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Chilliwack RCMP, with assistance from the Chilliwack Fire Department. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

“The Chilliwack Fire Department thanks the Chilliwack RCMP, BC Emergency Health Services, Emergency Support Services, CDART, BC Hydro, and FortisBC for their assistance during this incident,” Assistant Chief Minar said.

UPDATE: The downtown Chilliwack apartment fire has been knocked down as of 11:25 p.m., according to scanner traffic. Firefighters are now going into overhaul. A primary search has been conducted as of 11:26 p.m. Wednesday night.

Original story below:

CHILLIWACK – A massive fire erupted at a 36-unit housing complex in downtown Chilliwack Wednesday night, activating a flood of fire engines, ladder trucks and first responders to attend the scene.

Chilliwack firefighters were called to 45744 Spadina Avenue at the corner of Mary/Spadina sometime after 7:15 p.m. Wednesday night. The name of the housing complex is Applewood Court.

Fire. (Image Credit: Hailey VanBasten.)

Firefighters have been battling the fire for at least two hours. Multiple units have been damaged and impacted by the fire at the multi-storey building.

An on-scene witness and photographer, William Snow, tells Fraser Valley Today the fire is still active as of 10:15 p.m. He says a section of the complex is engulfed in flames as of 10:15 p.m.

Smoke billows from the scene of the apartment fire. (Image Credit: Tyler Man, used with permission.)

Earlier, another witness, Hailey VanBasten, said she saw parts of the roof crash down.

Another witness, Tyler Man, said at least one client of Zoey’s Pawsome Pet Society has been displaced by the fire.

Chilliwack RCMP members have blocked off roads near the fire.

Multiple ambulances attended the fire, though it’s not immediately clear if anyone suffered injuries.

The fire has resulted in a power outage affecting over 2,400 customers in downtown Chilliwack. Multiple businesses and multi-unit complexes near the fire were dark and had no power.

KFC and Starbucks without power Wednesday night. They were two of over 2,400 customers who lost power at 7:24 p.m. in downtown Chilliwack.

The outage began at 7:24 p.m. As of 9:50 p.m. Wednesday night, the outage is still active. BC Hydro repair crews are on site.

As of 10:08 p.m., BC Hydro’s website now shows 682 customers without power, not the original number of over 2,400 customers.

The multi-unit complex where the fire occurred is currently for sale with an asking price of $12 million, according to realtor.ca.

The property appears to have been built in 1982, according to BC Assessment records.

Brigida Crosbie from Tydel Foods posted to Facebook tonight that she will offer food for up to a month for anyone displaced by the fire.

William Snow, a witness on scene who lives close to the fire, tells Fraser Valley Today at 11:15 p.m. that there are now five ambulances in front of a Mary Street apartment complex.

Fraser Valley Today has contacted the Chilliwack Fire Department for more information on the fire, including whether anyone was injured or if anyone was displaced by the fire.

This story will be updated when additional information becomes available.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

Update: Fire tears through 36-unit Chilliwack housing complex

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