Multiple homes have been destroyed in a large fire in Port Coquitlam Tuesday morning.
The fire began before 5:45 a.m. in the area of Fraser Avenue and Oxford Street.
Two of the homes that were destroyed were occupied, while the third home was under construction. Two other homes have exposure damage.
The fire was so large at the beginning, it was visible from Pitt Meadows.
“Anytime you have a fire of this magnitude, it is very difficult to determine how it started, says Port Coquitlam Fire Chief Nick Delmonico. “As you may not be aware, houses under construction are particularly dangerous because they’re open and the fire starts moving through there very quickly.”
When firefighters arrived, they found flames 40 feet high and multiple explosions. What was causing those explosions is unclear at this time.
Neighbours tell Global News it looks like the fire started in the home under construction, which is in the middle of the two occupied homes.
The fire spread quickly, only taking about 10 minutes to spread to the other homes. One neighbour said they heard someone honking a horn, screaming for everyone to get out of their homes as the flames broke out.
WATCH: Some of the first images of the fire into our newsroom this morning:
Dozens of firefighters were called to the scene and Coquiltam crews were also called in as back-up.
No one was injured in the blaze but some homes had to be evacuated, with RCMP going door-to-door. Between 15 and 20 people have been displaced from their homes.
Oxford Street from north of Lougheed Highway to Prairie Avenue is closed at this time. Power is still out in the surrounding area but should be back on Tuesday afternoon.
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