A body was found Saturday evening after Vancouver Fire responded to reports of a fire near East Hastings Street and Dunlevy Avenue.
Asst. Chief Keith Stewart tells Daily Hive that a bystander was walking in the area around 9:30 pm and flagged fire crews when they saw smoke coming from a metal door at the back of a building.
Once crews got through the door, Stewart said they saw a fire had erupted in an electrical room.
“Tragically, they also found a person inside that room,” he said.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was removed from the room, and crew members performed CPR.
- You might also like:
- Vancouver commissary kitchen fire impacts several businesses, including food trucks
- Apartment fire sends dark smoke over downtown Vancouver (VIDEO)
After BC Emergency Health Services arrived, responders pronounced the man dead on the scene.
In total, 42 fire crew members responded to the fire, which has now been extinguished.
An investigation is ongoing, but Stewart said the fire is not deemed suspicious.
“The reason why the fire is not suspicious is that we found down lots of drug paraphernalia inside this room as well as some matches and lighters. So it was just an accidental fire. They’re just not sure exactly how it started.”
The building has sustained some smoke damage which was mitigated after crew members set up fans “to get some of the smoke out,” Stewart said.
“The room itself self-sustained some damage, and the electrical components definitely sustained some fire damage,” he said. “So the extent of the damage was basically to the room involved.”