Chemical reaction causes fire, damages Kitsilano furniture store

KITSILANO (NEWS 1130) – Part of a Kitsilano furniture store went up in flames early Saturday morning after a chemical reaction between oil-stained rags ignited.

The fire took place at Kits Furniture near West 8th Avenue and Burrard Street just past 7:00 a.m., and fire crews arrived after a passerby noticed the flames and smoke.

Assistant Chief of Operations Trevor Connelly says it appears an employee was staining furniture last night and left out the oily rags.

“Over the course of the night, there was a chemical reaction that happened to a pile of rags where the reaction creates heat, and it heats up the rags to a point where they self ignite.”

The fire damaged the rear of the building, where the fire started and left smoke damage towards the front end of the retail store.

Fire crews forcibly entered a restaurant connected to the store to ensure the fire had not spread.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today