A heritage building in downtown New Westminster suffered "minimal" damage after a fire broke out just outside the building on Wednesday morning.
New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services attended a fire outside the building at 740 Carnarvon St. around 7:50 a.m. on Aug. 30. No one was injured in the fire.
"The crews found some materials burning outside of the building," said acting assistant deputy fire Chief Glen Bailey.
"The flames had caused failure to the window that it was burning outside of. Fortunately, the crews acted quickly and got the fire out. It did not go beyond the window. It stayed on the exterior."
At the scene, firefighters used an axe to check inside the wall around the window to ensure fire had not spread inside the building.
"With those type of old buildings, we have to be really careful because they are normally built with a type of construction called balloon — there generally aren’t fire stops between the floors," Bailey explained.
"So we want to really make sure that there is no extension because if it had gotten into the walls it could have been a horrible situation."
Bailey could not say if the fire was set or was accidental.
"The investigators are still doing their investigation," he told the Record. "Right now it is undermined."
Bailey said the space in the building where the fire occurred was vacant, but it was formerly a training room for the Lookout Housing and Health Society, which operates housing in the building.
"Minimal damage," he said. "Damage to the window, obviously. Some damage to the door because we had to do a forced entry. During our overhaul or checking for extensions, there was some minor damage to the drywall."
BC Housing purchased the 50-unit College Place Hotel in January 2008 to provide supportive housing as part of its efforts to address homelessness.
"BC Housing is aware New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services (NWFRS) responded to a fire at the Russell Housing Centre, which is owned by BC Housing and provides 40 supportive housing units and 15 shelter beds," said BC Housing in a statement to the Record.
"We are thankful that no one was injured, and that no supportive housing or shelter clients were displaced. BC Housing is awaiting additional information from the NWFRS on the cause, which is believed to have originated on the building's exterior."
The 1908 building, which is situated between Alexander and Begbie Streets, was originally called the Russell Hotel.
It was later home to a nightclub and pub, before being purchased by BC Housing and repurposed for housing and office uses.
