It was a frantic morning in North Vancouver after a fire broke out at an apartment building.
Officials have now confirmed one person died during the fire. The body was found in one of the suites on the top floor.
Firefighters raced up ladders to rescue several people who were on their balconies with flames all around them. Crews carried them and a dog to safety before they were harmed.
It was almost too late for one resident, her mom and her dog as they were trapped on their balcony before crews showed up.
“I just thought ‘I gotta get out of here’,” said one resident. “‘I gotta jump’. I started to climb out of the balcony, everybody said ‘no, no, no the fire truck is coming’, so I said ‘I don’t hear them, I gotta get out of here’.”
Flames were sparked just before 5 a.m. at the building near St. Patrick’s Avenue and East 2nd Street. The building has 30 units and they were all evacuated, including about 18 units from a neighbouring complex.
Several people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
There is no word yet on the cause of the fire but it appears to have started on the upper floor in a middle unit.
Some road closures remain in effect while crews are on scene.
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