Large fire burns old home in Kitsilano

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A home which appears to have been built in the early 1900s has gone up in flames in Kitsilano.

Fire crews were called to the house on West 3rd Avenue near Macdonald around 1 p.m. on Thursday.

“They arrived to find heavy smoke and flames from a three-storey wooden house,” explains Vancouver Fire Captain Jonathan Gormick. “They were initially able to make entry and started attacking the fire from the interior, but heavy smoke and flame conditions and compromised structural integrity drove them to an exterior mode of attack.”

While inside, Gormick adds crews were able to conduct a preliminary search for anyone who may have been inside.

“But after being driven out, they were not able to complete a more thorough search,” he says. “While we’re fairly certain no one is inside, it’ll be sometime before we’re able to search more thoroughly to confirm that.”

There’s still no word on what may have caused this fire. Gormick says the house is being lived in.

In a tweet, Heritage Vancouver says the home was built in 1910 by H. F. Morrison, along with its immediate neighbour to the north. The post adds the structure is not listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register.

While he could not confirm whether this was officially a heritage home, Gormick confirms it is quite old. He says these kinds of structures can pose challenges.

“They’re obviously built to current fire codes, but some of the older construction techniques such as balloon framing

“Quick action by the initial arriving units also kept this confined to the structure of origin as it is quite close to one of the neighbouring houses,” Gormick tells NEWS 1130. “Right now, crews are just cooling the structure from the outside and protecting the neighbouring houses and any of the vegetation that surrounds it.”

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