PORT COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) – Crews in Port Coquitlam have figured out what caused a four-alarm fire in the city’s downtown core last week that destroyed several businesses.
The structure is so unstable that investigators had to remove the top floor of the building and some heavier equipment before they were able to get in.
Investigators say the fire started in an electric towel warmer in the barber shop and spread up through the ceiling to the rest of the building.
Fire chief Nick Delmonico adds the cost of the damage is well into the millions and he attributes part of it to the value of real estate within the downtown core.
“There is some material still left in the storefronts, like for example, the jewelry store and a couple of other ones, they’ll be able to remove some belongings out of there but as a general rule I would say the structures of all six of those businesses are gone.”
No one was hurt and he says the fire was incredibly difficult to fight even with the help of neighbouring Coquitlam.
“It was approximately 45 to 55 staff and probably seven apparatus with the mutual aid apparatus as well, that was essentially our entire department. We actually started losing people late in the process because they were getting too fatigued.”
Once the investigation is completed, the building will be torn down.
The fire is not considered suspicious.