An abandoned residential apartment building on Laity Street burned in the early morning hours of Friday, March 13.
According to Maple Ridge Fire Chief Dave Samson the fire started at approximately 1:30 a.m., and crews were still working at the scene at 9:00 a.m.
The fire was at 11872 Laity Street, and the road is closed between Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road, and is expected to be blocked for most of Friday.
Samson said the crews arrived to find there was fire on both floors of the two-storey building. The structure is behind a steel fence, the building boarded up, and it is slated for demolition.
The fire went through the roof, and firefighters set up an aerial ladder to spray down on the flames. Samson said the extreme fire conditions and threat of roof collapse forced firefighters to switch to a defensive fire attack, to protect neighbouring buildings.
“The crews did a good job of ensuring it didn’t spread,” said Samson. “It was a significant fire.”
At the height of the fire fighting, there were 25 personnel and eight apparatus at the scene, said Samson.
There were no injuries reported.
“We have not been able to do a complete search yet, due to fire conditions,” said Samson, just after 9 a.m., but added crews had searched the building as much as possible, including looking through all windows.
The investigation of the cause will start this morning. There was no electrical power or gas to the building, which suggested the fire may have been caused by a person. Samson said there was a board taken off at ground level at the rear of the building.
“Someone had clearly gained access at some point,” he said.