Man dead after fire at Surrey, B.C. apartment building

A man has died after fire razed through a four-unit apartment building in Surrey on Monday morning.

Flames broke out at the two-storey building on 71A Avenue at 134th Street in Newton around 3:20 a.m. All other occupants made it out safely, the Surrey Fire Service confirms.

Some 24 firefighters and 11 pieces of equipment responded, finding heavy smoke billowing from the second floor, Assistant Dept. Chief Ben Dirksen told Global News.

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“Attack crews quickly made entry and found an unresponsive male, who was then transferred to BC EHS paramedics. Sadly, the patient succumbed to his injuries,” Dirksen said.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but Dirksen said investigators are working to determine whether the building’s smoke alarms were functional.

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The first floor of the building contains a commercial business. Dirksen said he didn’t have an update on the status of the damage to the business or the apartment units above.

He didn’t know how many people were displaced, if any.

“Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the victim and we would like to invite everyone to check their smoke alarms to ensure they’re in good working condition,” he said.