Gastown SRO to be demolished after devastating fire (PHOTOS)

A four-alarm fire broke out at the Winters Hotel on April 11 (Daily Hive Vancouver)

A single-room occupancy hotel in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood that houses some of the city’s most vulnerable residents will need to be demolished following a four-alarm fire this week.

Crews are setting up fencing around the perimeter of the collapse zone to prevent further injuries, Mayor Kennedy Stewart said during an update from City Hall Tuesday.

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The fire broke out Monday morning at the four-storey Winters Hotel at 203 Abbott Street. It housed an SRO, a women’s shelter, and several businesses including the popular restaurant The Flying Pig.

Fire Chief Karen Fry said six people had to be rescued from the burning building, including one person who jumped out and was found behind the hotel. A witness told Daily Hive Urbanized the person who jumped was on fire.

In all, five people were taken to hospital. All 71 residents of the Winters and staff are accounted for and believed to be safe.

“It was a very vivid and dynamic scene. We had worried family members on scene looking for their loved ones,” Fry said. “The impact on [residents] is going to be very traumatic.”

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire started on the building’s second floor and moved up from there. Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause and what exactly happened.

The fire caused the roof to collapse, and although the brick exterior was still standing, the interior was completely charred.

Overhead view of fire damage. (Breanne Cantlon/submitted)

Approximately 60 firefighters responded to the scene and stayed overnight to put out hot spots.

The neighbouring Gastown Hotel also suffered intense smoke damage

“Smoke is toxic and it’s full of contaminants. It’s carcinogenic. That building cannot be occupied at this time,” Fry said.

Fry mentioned the City’s building inspector would issue an immediate demolition order, but Atira CEO Janice Abbott confirmed no demolition order has been issued for the Gastown Hotel.

Air scrubbers have come in to clean up the smoke damage, and the SRO operator is trying to coordinate a day when Gastown Hotel residents can retrieve their belongings. All 73 residents of that SRO are safe.

“The last 24 hours have so far been focused on accounting for all of the tenants, and making sure everybody had a place to shelter,” Abbott said. “That’s been occupying everybody’s time, as well as collecting donations and ensuring that people had basic warm clothes to wear and hygiene items.”

Dale McMann, vice president of operations with BC Housing, said he hopes residents of the second SRO can go back soon enough.

“Anytime you lose 140 to 150 rooms it’s devastating,” he said. “We obviously have a shortage of housing throughout the lower mainland, so that’s obviously problematic.”

The cloud of smoke from the fire could be seen all the way from the North Shore on Monday.

Fire in Gastown seen from the North Shore. (Rhys Shields)

Several roads remain closed in Gastown as emergency crews continue the investigation.

Local non-profits are accepting donations of clothing, supplies, and bedding for the people displaced by the blaze.

“This has been an all-hands-on-deck situation, and I’m extremely proud of the City’s response,” Stewart said during a news conference from City Hall.

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The Flying Pig posted a message to Instagram thanking everyone who reached out to the restaurant, and said no staff were hurt in the fire. It confirmed the restaurant would remain closed at order of the fire department, and encouraged concerned customers to donate supplies to help the displaced SRO residents.

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A post shared by The Flying Pig (@wearetheflyingpig)

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said the Gastown Hotel would also need to be demolished. Only demolition of the Winters Hotel has been confirmed.