Heavy smoke and flames were seen coming out of a residential unit yesterday (March 31).
The fire broke out in a second-storey unit inside the Persepolis Hotel at 351 Columbia Street (originally dispatched as 79 E Hastings) sometime in the late evening.
"Upon arrival, there was a lot going on outside," says Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Asst. Chief Keith Stewart. "It was kind of chaotic. There were people yelling and screaming that there were people inside."
Stewart notes that the flames were caused by a bunch of mattresses piled up against the window which caught fire. "The window was open and it was blowing out through the window," he tells V.I.A.
Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire but the building sustained extensive water damage.
No people were injured but 10 units were displaced.
