An elderly man is dead after an early morning house fire in East Vancouver.
Firefighters were called to the home at E. 47th Avenue near Elliot Street just after 4 a.m., where they discovered a fire in the basement at the rear of the house.
Assistant Chief Sheldon Young said crews acted quickly to knock the flames down.
But despite their best efforts, Young said crews were unable to get in in time to save the unit’s occupant.
“The fire was right near our entry point, where we wanted to get in, so we had to knock that fire back before we could get in and search for the person,” he said.
“We knew that there was somebody inside… unfortunately he was deceased when we did get to him.”
Crews performed CPR but were unable to revive the man.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Friends have set up a GoFundMe for the family who lived in the home. To help them get back on their feet, you can donate online.