Skip to content

Prince Rupert Fire Rescue kept busy over the holiday season — residential fires, vehicle extraction and fire alarms

Apt. fire displaced tenants almost a year to the day neighbouring Angus Apts. burned
31459963_web1_230112-PRU-Little-blue-house-fire-house-fire_2
The blue house next to Angus Apartments caught fire a year to the day of its neighbour. Photo: K-J Millar/The Northern View)

A residential fire has left tenants displaced after Prince Rupert Fire Rescue extinguished flames in the 1100 black of Second Ave. West, on Dec. 29.

Fire crews were kept busy over the holiday period with house fires, a vehicle collision and quite a few fire alarm calls due to a mix of causes, like cooking alarms.

“The cold weather actually affects a lot of the alarm systems, which with broken water lines or frozen sprinkler heads [affect call outs],” Cooper said.

The calls to the Fire Rescue started early with a fatal residential blaze on Dec. 23 and another in the blue house next to a previously fire-destroyed building.

It was almost a year to the day the neighbouring residential property known as Angus Apartments was also damaged by fire, displacing tenants out of the 15 units.

The tenants of the blue four-unit building were assisted by emergency support services and provided emergency accommodation in a local hotel for three nights, Deputy Fire Cheif Chad Cooper told The Northern View.

“Right now it’s up to the landlord to get the power reconnected. Make sure that the rest of the building is safe before occupants can return back,” he said.

Fifteen firefighters and five apparatus vehicles attended the incident, which occurred just before 8:30 p.m.

Prince Rupert Fire Rescue posted on its social media page that after completing a simultaneous search of all apartments and due to a quick response, the fire was contained to one unit. All occupants of the building were evacuated safely.

“Upon the arrival of the first engine company, they found a well-involved fire coming from the front unit of a multiple-unit apartment building,” PRFR stated.

“Firefighters aggressively made entry and were able to quickly extinguish the fire,” the social media page reads.

The fire was extinguished within 20 mins, with no injuries reported. Prince Rupert Fire Rescue stated the cause of the fire has not been determined.

Fire rescue crews were also called to a single-vehicle rollover collision which required extraction, on Highway 16 near China Bar Dec. 30, Cooper said.

“One occupant was trapped on the passenger side of the vehicle and the crews had to remove the whole side sidewall of the vehicle to get to the patient out. The patient was transported to hospital.”

“It was the first time in a while we have done an extraction on the highway,” Cooper said, adding crews get called out for similar incidents two to three times a year.


K-J Millar | Editor and Multimedia Journalist
Send K-J email
Like the The Northern View on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
31459963_web1_230112-PRU-Little-blue-house-fire-house-fire_3
The blue house next to Angus Apt. on Second Ave. West caught fire a year to the day of its neighbour. (Photo: K-J Millar/The Northern View)