Two dead, 16 injured in apartment fire
About 70 people permanently displaced as 17 properties destroyed early Monday
Disbelief and devastation gripped a close North Vancouver community after a fire killed a mother and her eight-year-old child, and injured at least 16 others early Monday morning.
Seventeen properties were destroyed, with about 70 people permanently displaced.
Flames were at least 100 feet in the air by the time emergency crews were called to Mountain Village Garden Apartments housing complex in Lynn Valley just after 2:30 a.m., North Vancouver RCMP Cpl. Richard De Jong said.
Residents reported hearing screams, along with multiple explosions before being told to evacuate their apartments.
“We got out ... and there were injured people laying on the side of the grass … a man whose hands were covered in blood,” said Tehra Dougall, who lives in the complex. “There were broken windows and people who had apparently jumped out of them.”
Dougall’s daughter Edyn said: “There’s quite a few kids around. A lot of families. We were grabbing blankets to go help people. It was chilly out.”
Nearly 150 residents were transported by bus to both the local Safeway grocery store and then to the Mickey McDougall Community Centre for overnight shelter.
Witnesses said the woman and her young child died after becoming trapped inside one of the burning buildings. The woman’s 11-year-old son escaped by jumping from a second-floor window onto a trampoline, while the father — who was separated from his family — survived by leaping off the balcony. The names of the victims were not released.
“When he jumped out, that’s when everything burnt down and (the others) got stuck under the fire,” said Dorsa Pedroud, who visited the family at the hospital.
Smoke engulfed the nearby playground throughout the day, as more than 30 firefighters from both the District and City of North Vancouver hosed down hot spots that continued to smoulder on what structure remained.
Three residents said fire alarms for the two-storey apartment complex did not go off, and that the buildings do not have sprinkler systems. Residential units are given battery-powered alarms.
“You’d never think about being this close to such a tragic fire,” said Sabina Doyle, who lives in the building adjacent to the fire. “I thought it was kids having a party because there was all this yelling. Then I heard two big explosions.”
The families who lived in the burnt apartments were recognizable faces in the neighbourhood, said Doyle’s husband Dennis.
“Of course, the pool (at the complex) here draws everyone out in the summer time. You’d see their kids out playing all the time,” he said.
The apartment compound was built in 1967. A rezoning application submitted to the district by local developer Mosaic Homes shows plans to develop the site into a series of condominium and rental units. Council had planned to review the proposal for a second reading next week.
North Shore Emergency Management director Fiona Dercole said they have set up a number of families in hotels.
“The first choice is to stay with friends and family. And if they don’t have people to stay with, we provide hotel accommodation up to three days,” Dercole said, adding the organization is providing victim services to those who need emotional support.
A number of community and social media groups have already begun fundraising.
An RCMP arson unit, the fire department and the coroners service are all actively working on the investigation, although the cause of the fire remains unknown. The District of North Vancouver Fire Department said an assessment on the structural integrity of the building would also be required.