Heavy smoke pours from Kitsilano home engulfed in flames

Vancouver fire crews were called to the city’s west side for a three-alarm fire on Thursday afternoon.

The fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. in the area of MacDonald Street and West 4th Avenue.

Firefighters made entry and attacked from the third floor, but due to the force of the fire they were driven out and had to take a defensive approach.

Fire information officer, Jonathan Gormick said that although they completed a primary search to find any occupants inside, they were unable to do a secondary search.

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“The occupants of the neighbouring home were extremely lucky, it was only the fast actions of the first arriving crew who pulled a hose line immediately and began to cool it that saved it. These houses are very close together, wood framed and it wouldn’t have taken much for it to spread to the next house.”

People are being asked to avoid the area.

“There’s heavy smoke in the area and at this time, Macdonald is closed between W 4th and Cornwall,” said Gormick.

According to Heritage Vancouver, the home was built in 1910 by H.F. Morrison, but is not on the city’s heritage register.

An online real estate listing pegs the three-suite property’s value at $2.58 million, and describes it as sitting on a “stunning corner lot in the heart of Kitsalano” and as a “solid investment with potential gross income of $84,000/year.”

The home was also listed on Airbnb, but the listing was removed Thursday afternoon.

No cause has been determined, but fire investigators are on scene.