If you’ve been wondering about the smoke rising from downtown Vancouver, it looks like a fire broke out at a residential apartment complex in the West End.
According to Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS), a fire broke out at a residential high-rise near Thurlow on the 1100 block of Nelson Street.
Several people posted about smoke rising from the area, with one person getting a really clear shot of the blaze inside the unit.
@Hollymcc3/X
Someone on Reddit said, “I just saw six fire responders pass by on Dunsmuir and was wondering what was happening.”
Based on the social media posts from VFRS, it looks like crews were able to knock down the blaze within 20 minutes. Despite the fire being out, as of 3:15 p.m., crews were still hydraulically ventilating the unit.
Crews hydraulically ventilating the unit- using water streams to evacuate smoke. pic.twitter.com/ureMQL0W9m
— Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (@VanFireRescue) March 11, 2025
VFRS Public Information Officer Matthew Trudeau, who was on the scene, told Daily Hive that there are a lot of lower-income and elderly residents who live in the building, some of which have been impacted by smoke inhalation. He also informed us that one person had been sent to the hospital. It is unclear what caused the fire, and the investigation is in its early stages.
Trudeau added that there are some significant traffic impacts in the area due to the fire response. Parts of Nelson and Thurlow streets are shut down, so if you’re planning your commute, you might want to think of an alternate route.
It has been a busy day for VFRS. Earlier today, crews battled an underground car fire on the 700 block of Granville Street. That fire was determined to be intentionally set.