Fire breaks out at flood-ravaged cabins in downtown Princeton, B.C.

More than two years after floodwaters tore through the Riverside Motel in downtown Princeton,B.C., the owners have yet to rebuild.

The cabins have sat vacant ever since, and according to the property owner, Gordon Daw, they have become a popular spot for squatters and vandals.

“The river came right through here and instead of getting a bit of water, we got the whole river and it destroyed everything,” said Daw.

“As for the people, I come down probably I’d say a few times a week and just to check, but you can tell they’ve been in here because we go into some of the cabins and there’s garbage.”

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Just this week, a fire broke out on the property. Crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze and it appears only one cabin was damaged.

Although the cause is unknown at this time, Daw suspects someone may have been squatting in the building.

“That’s common with properties that are kind of left vacant that it does attract that kind of activity. And it does become a bit of an issue for us,” said the Town of Princeton’s CAO Lyle Thomas.

“That’s why we kind of monitor what’s going on. We want to be sensitive to his situation and we know that he’s been substantially impacted by the flooding.”

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According to town staff, the town has no control or financial responsibility with what happens next with the flood ravaged property.

However, staff are paying closer attention to the property especially following the fire.

“If he does a rebuild, the only participation from the town would be that he’d have to take on a building permit and meet all the requirements of that. But if he’s just wanting to clean up his property, then he can do that on his own,” said Thomas.

“Anytime there’s a vacant or abandoned or derelict property, it does hit our radar, and it does become a bit of a concern. It can be a bit of a safety concern or just unsightly. This property is starting to make its way to our radar, and we’ve had some initial conversations with the property owner.”

As for Daw and his wife, they have no immediate plans for the future of the property.

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