Around 150 residents displaced after New Westminster fire: City

An apartment building is lost, and residents of around 70 units have been displaced after a fire swept through the structure on Friday.

A destructive fire swept through a New Westminster apartment building on Friday, displacing around 150 residents and keeping fire crews on site into the weekend. New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services said its crews were called to the building at 905 4th Avenue at around 1:30 p.m., where they found and rescued several residents from balconies using ground ladders. Photos taken of Pinecrest Manor on Saturday afternoon show a charred, partially collapsed structure where the roof once stood near its entrance.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the city has recommended that those living in the area keep their windows closed and give crews space to continue their work. In a video posted to Facebook, New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone said the total number of people displaced by the fire included those living in an adjacent building that sustained water damage. Johnstone confirmed every resident is accounted for after the blaze.

NWFRS Chief Erin Williams told CTV News that Burnaby firefighters assisted in battling the blaze until early Saturday morning, and his crews have remained on scene to extinguish leftover hot spots. “A lot of the crews that were called out off duty are here again today,” he said. “It’s been a long process for them, and they’re doing a phenomenal job.”

Williams explained that some hot spots within the building are difficult to access in the structure’s current state, so his crews have requested an excavator to assist. Williams said the pair of firefighters who were sent to hospital for treatment Friday have since been released. A resident of the building was hospitalized as well after being rescued from a balcony, and Williams said he last heard, “they were OK.”

Johnstone and the city of New Westminster have asked those wanting to support evacuees to avoid municipal facilities for now, and instead bring donations of clothes, money, or gift cards to the gymnasium at Lord Kelvin Elementary School. An update from the city detailed the temporary donation facility being open for a week, beginning with a window until 5 p.m. Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, with weekday hours yet to be confirmed. The city said financial donations can be sent online by e-transfer as well, to admin@newwestnh.ca .

“I really want to send appreciation to everybody who sent their wishes and wants to provide donations,” Johnstone added. “Thank you, New West, for showing up again.”