2560 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

Have just learned that a friend of mine works in this building. He hasn't heard any details yet.

[pontcanna]

‘It’s pretty disheartening’: Mustard Seed forced to close, throw out food after fire


 

Victoria’s Mustard Seed food bank is closed Monday and for the foreseeable future due to a fire.

The food bank at 625 Queens Ave. hands out hot meals and food hampers from its hospitality area, but development director Colleen Sparks says extensive smoke damage from an early-morning fire has forced staff to start off the workweek by ceasing operations.

“We can’t serve anybody today,” Sparks told CHEK News.

She says crews had already extinguished the fire when she arrived at work around 7:20 a.m. The blaze was outside the front entrance, which leads to the hospitality and chapel areas, and Victoria Fire Chief Dan Atkinson says there was also cosmetic damage along with the smoke.

Now, it’s unclear when the food bank will return to its normal operations. Both Sparks and Bell say updates will be posted to their website and social media pages, with plans for an alternative way to distribute food in the works.

“The building is not a place we can bring anything into, it’s smokey and may not be safe. If anyone is interested and wants to help out, they can (make monetary donations) on our website. We appreciate all the support from the community on an ongoing basis,” added Sparks.

Victoria police are investigating the fire, and Bell says no one was injured.

 

More: https://www.cheknews...r-fire-1146201/

[Nparker]

Burning the hand that feeds you.

[Matt R.]

Paul Latour did a massive reno in this space not too long ago.

https://victoria.her...m/mustard-seed/

[Victoria Watcher]

Montreal fire:

 

 

 

 

The fire broke out around 5:45 a.m. March 16 in the three-storey building at the corner of Place d’Youville and du Port Sts. in Old Montreal. Several units in the building were being rented out illegally through Airbnb, and a handful were occupied by long-term tenants, including Maheux.

 

Travellers who had stayed in the building before the fire warned Airbnb about safety issues in multiple units.

 

Lacroix’s family said police told them she had called 911 twice the morning of the fire, begging to be rescued from the windowless room she was staying in. A long-term tenant of the building who managed to escape the fire told TVA Nouvelles he heard no alarms during the blaze.

 

Last week, city of Montreal inspectors discovered that two other buildings owned by the same person, Emile Benamor, did not have fire alarm systems in place. They installed temporary fire alarms as a result, and ordered for a security guard to be stationed at each building.

 

https://montrealgaze...in-deadly-blaze

[pontcanna]

-The T-C plays it down, but CFAX says: 

 

 

View Royal Fire Department Chief Paul Hurst says a preliminary investigation indicates at least one of the fires was intentionally set by a patient.

 

"It's the first fire I've responded to in probably 30 years at Victoria General," Hurst told reporters outside the hospital. "There is no room to hesitate in a building like this where you have people who are vulnerable."

 

Fire crews remained on scene through the afternoon to ventilate smoke from the hospital.

 

"Patients in the direct vicinity were briefly moved out of the area while fire crews cleared the area of smoke," the Island Health spokesperson said.

 

More:  https://www.iheartra...ital-1.19503141

 

Staff quickly extinguish fire at Victoria General Hospital

 

A small fire on the fourth floor of Victoria General Hospital early Tuesday afternoon was quickly extinguished by staff.

 

 

“Thanks to the quick actions of staff, the situation was contained and the fire was extinguished with minimal damage,” the health authority said in a statement.

View Royal Fire reported at 12:45 p.m. that the blaze was out. Several other departments answered the call, including Saanich, Esquimalt, Langford and Colwood. About 40 firefighters were on the scene.

It was initially suggested the fire was set by a patient, but West Shore RCMP Cpl. Nancy Saggar issued a statement saying only that police have investigated the fire, and “are not anticipating any criminal charges at this time.”

 

More: https://www.timescol...ospital-6808839

 

[pontcanna]

Gordon Head home badly damaged in Wednesday morning fire: Police

Apr. 5, 2023 

 

A house in the 1700-block of Triest Crescent was badly damaged by fire, police say. Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

No one was injured after a fire badly damaged a home on Triest Crescent in Saanich’s Gordon Head neighbourhood, according to police.

Saanich police tell CHEK News the fire happened sometime Wednesday morning. They say the damage was “significant,” and the structure is now compromised.

Helmar Prael lives next door and says he woke up, went outside and witnessed the fire around 5:20 a.m.

The fire also spread to the house’s yard, according to Prael. He says five or so fire trucks were on scene within 10 minutes.

“I got through to 911 at the same time I went beside our house — we share a large BC Hydro box,” he said. “There were like three-foot flames coming out of the grass.”

CHEK News reached out to Saanich Fire for more information, but a spokesperson from the department said they couldn’t share any details.

 

More: https://www.cheknews...police-1147460/

 

 

[Mike K.]

An under construction townhouse complex burned down this evening near Sooke's town centre: https://www.facebook...64808886537308/

[Nparker]

Was all of it destroyed?

[Mike K.]

The townhome building is gonzo, yes.

[Nparker]

😢

[Nparker]

The missing, missing middle.

[Victoria Watcher]

View Royal firefighters are crediting a paddleboarder with saving two people from drowning in Thetis Lake after their floatie overturned Wednesday afternoon.

The two victims, in their late teens or early 20s, could not swim and were not wearing lifejackets, said View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst.

 

Beachgoers were alerted to trouble by “frantic screams” that someone was drowning, he said.

 

The fire department was called for a reported drowning, but when crews arrived, they found both people alive, thanks to a paddleboarder, Rylie Matthews, who jumped on her board and paddled 40 metres out to the victims, Hurst said.

 

“She literally pulled these kids out of the water. The one was underwater, the other one she pulled onto the board. So I mean, a real hero, a true hero. She saved lives today,” Hurst said.

 

Matthews said she was getting her paddleboard ready at the lake’s boat launch when she heard splashing coming from the middle of the lake. When she looked up, she could see a woman in the lake waving her arms and calling for help.

 

“I didn’t even really think. I just hopped on my paddleboard and yelled to her like: ‘I’m coming. I’m on my way,’ ” Matthews said.

 

When she got closer, she could see a man about a foot underwater who was trying to reach the surface but couldn’t.

 

The woman grabbed on to her paddleboard, and Matthews got on her hands and knees to reach into the water and grabbed the man by his hair, pulling him onto her board. His face was blue and he was unconscious, Matthews said.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...is-lake-7017350

 

 

 

That's quite something.

 

Now, not to victim-blame by why would anyone go out on an inflatable if they cannot swim?    Also, who are all these people that cannot swim?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 May 2023 - 04:04 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Port McNeill landmark burl burns

 

https://www.timescol...l-burns-7019455

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea what a burl is.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 May 2023 - 11:15 AM.

[Mike K.]

Oh dang. That’s lame.

[pontcanna]

Police investigating fatal residential fire

Port Alberni

2023-05-19 - File #2023-4845

Photo from CHEK
 

On May 18, 2023 at approximately 11:12 pm, Port Alberni RCMP responded to a report of a fire at a multi-unit residential building in the 3600 block of 4th Ave in Port Alberni.

Officers assisted Port Alberni Fire Department to ensure residents were out of the units while the fire was extinguished. A body was located in a unit of the building and the site is secured for investigation.

The family of the deceased has been notified and have been provided local supports.

Port Alberni RCMP General Investigation Section, RCMP fire investigator and frontline officers are investigating alongside the BC Coroner Service, Port Alberni Fire Department and the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

The cause of the fire and fatality are under investigation. No further details can be released at this time.

The Bread of Life is assisting the residents displaced by this incident with immediate resources and will be working with partner agencies to support them.

If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Port Alberni RCMP at 250-723-2424.

Released by

Cpl. Alex Bérubé
District Advisory NCO (Media Relations)
Island District

[Victoria Watcher]

Port McNeill mayor hopes to recruit suspects in burl arson for firefighting

 

Two suspects were arrested after police posted pictures that were quickly identified

 

Two individuals seen on ­security video carrying a jerry can near the burl shortly before it caught fire were quickly identified after RCMP released images of them. Police made two arrests on Thursday.

 

https://www.timescol...ighting-7029788

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not 100% sure hiring arsonists for the fire department is a good idea.

[Matt R.]

“Lived experience” gets you the job.

[Nparker]

Major structure fire Gorge Road East at Douglas.

https://m.facebook.c...mibextid=Nif5oz

[Victoria Watcher]

Major structure fire Gorge Road East at Douglas.

https://m.facebook.c...mibextid=Nif5oz