‘Fully involved’ south Vancouver house fire spreads to neighbouring property!

Acting Fire Chief Trevor Connelly said one home is destroyed and the second has extensive damage.

One house has been engulfed in flames and a second was badly damaged after a fire erupted Monday evening in south Vancouver.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services acting Chief Trevor Connelly said crews were called out just after 6 p.m. to a home at 6181 Commercial Street, near East 47th Avenue.

The house is “fully involved” and is being fought defensively from outside.

“Unfortunately, it spread to the house next door before we were able to arrive on scene and get water on it,” said Connelly.

By 7:30 p.m., crews were inside the second house and actively fighting the fire, though the home also has extensive smoke, water and fire damage, he said.

Connelly said a third house was being threatened but firefighters were able to stop the blaze from spreading to it.

He said one occupant was taken to hospital with minor injuries but no one else appears to have been injured.

The second-alarm blaze drew a response from about nine trucks and 32 firefighters, said Connelly, who expects crews to be on scene for at least a couple more hours.

No cause was immediately apparent. Investigators will look into what sparked the blaze once it is safe to enter the first house.

Source: Vancouver SUN