A fire has forced the closure of businesses on Commercial Drive north of 1st Avenue, among them a popular gelato shop.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services responded to a blaze in a building at 5:39 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22. Heavy smoke was coming from the first floor when crews arrived and they entered the structure to attack the fire and evacuate the building.
The blaze was upgraded to a second-alarm fire with 15 apparatus. No injuries were reported but 10 people have been displaced and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The owners of Dolce Amore shared a message on Instagram, stating that a "massive fire" broke out at the business early Tuesday morning. The store is located at 1588 Commercial Dr.
While they don't know what caused the fire, they wrote that it "began in the very early hours" and no one was hurt.
"That being said, we will need some time off to heal and repair our one and only clubhouse. We will see you soon," they noted.
The business is located in between two other restaurants, Hanai and Bar Corso.
Hanai shared on its social media late Tuesday morning that the restaurant has been forced to close down temporarily due to the blaze.
"We woke up to news of a fire in our building this morning, unfortunately it’s severe, so we will be closed for the foreseeable future," reads a message from Hanai's owners. "Thankfully everyone in our building is safe. We’ll keep you updated as we figure this out, thanks for all the love and support."
However, Bar Corso, next door in the space to the north of Dolce Amore, says the fire has not impacted their restaurant. "We want to extend our sincere thanks to the Vancouver Fire Department for handling the blaze so quickly and offer our deepest condolences to the neighbours and tenants who have been affected and displaced by this incident," said Bar Corso owner Andy Agnesini in an emailed statement.
Road closures were in effect at Commercial and 1st on Tuesday morning, but the streets have since re-opened.
V.I.A. has reached out to Dolce Amore for additional comment.
