An explosion described as “massive” rocked Vancouver, Chinatown Friday sending smoke high in the air and displacing 39 tenants at a single residency occupancy building or SRO.
“It is a grease fire that got into the roof of a [four] story building,” said Assistant Fire Chief Dan Nichols to Vancouver is Awesome.
It happened at the Gain Wah Restaurant on the 200 block of Keefer and at the Keefer Rooms SRO above.
CTV News reported large amounts of smoke rose from the roof of the building.
“Just witnessed a massive explosion in Chinatown / Keefer & Main, VPD are on scene. Still rattled from the ground vibration and the sound of whatever caused it,” tweeted Councilor Rebecca Bligh.
Everyone inside has been evacuated from the fire which broke out at noon.
CTV reports that just last month a fire swept through four buildings and displaced dozens of residents on Powell Street near Princess Avenue.
Flames ripped through a church and SRO hotel in July in Vancouver that investigators believe was intentionally set.
A fire at the Winters Hotel in April killed two people.
All the fires have occured at Downtown Eastside, Gastown and Chinatown.
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