A two-alarm fire destroyed an unoccupied house near the intersection of 248th Street and Fraser Highway earlier Sunday morning, Sept. 3.
The fire 鈥渁ppears suspicious鈥� and the 91原创 RCMP are still investigating, said Cpl. Craig van Herk with the 91原创 RCMP.
No injuries were reported.
Fire destroyed an unoccupied house on 248th Street and Fraser Highway early Sunday morning
鈥� 91原创 Advance Times (@91原创Times)
91原创 acting assistant fire chief Ken Strand said 10 vehicles and 55 firefighters responded to the 5 a.m. call, and remained at the scene until about 10:30 a.m.
Traffic was blocked off for several hours.
There no occupants. Strand said it appeared tenants of the house had moved out the previous day.
The wood-frame residential structure, which Strand estimated to be a storey-and-a-half house with full basement, that appeared to have been built in the 1930s or 鈥�40s.
It was a 鈥渃omplete loss.鈥�
Cause of the fire has not been determined. Investigators were expected on the scene early in the week.
鈥淥ur crews did a great job and kept it contained to the primary building,鈥� Strand told the 91原创 Advance Times.
鈥淭here was one structure directly south only 10 feet away, and another one about 20 feet to the north, and they sustained no damage, so it was some great work.鈥�
Fire destroyed an unoccupied house on 248th Street and Fraser Highway early Sunday morning
鈥� 91原创 Advance Times (@91原创Times)
Neighbour Barb Solvey was awakened by a crashing noise around 5 a.m.
鈥淎t first, I thought it might be a raccoon. It was pretty loud. [Then] I saw flickering through my bedroom blinds.鈥�
The house next door was burning.
鈥淚 could definitely feel the heat.鈥�
Solvey called 9-1-1.
She said a tenant in the house had just moved out, and had left bags of trash for pickup on 248th Street.
Solvey was impressed by the speed of the fire department response.
鈥淚f they didn鈥檛 get here so fast, I think my house wouldn鈥檛 be here,鈥� Solvey said.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get a chance to thank them.鈥�
Later that morning, workers used an excavator to knock down the wreckage, then began installing a temporary fencing.
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