It’s not uncommon for firefighters to save people or pets from a burning building, but crews were tasked with another mission on Surrey on Monday: saving art.
Surrey firefighters were called to Beecher Place in Crescent Beach when a fire broke out in the second-floor banquet hall’s kitchen area.
The fire was escalated to a second alarm, and Surrey Assistant Fire Chief Jason Cairney said five trucks were tasked to the job.
“They quickly knocked that fire down and had a pretty good save here,” he said.
Firefighters were also spotted carrying art out of the pop-up gallery space on the building’s first floor.
Artists Melissa Burgher and Clara Maskell told Global News the fire will be disruptive to the local arts community.
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“It wasn’t too cool,” said Maskell, who arrived on her bike to open the gallery as firefighters were tackling the blaze.
“It’s going to affect the art community tenfold because everybody’s art shows that they’ve been preparing for all year are going to be pushed back,” said Burgher.
“And there’s also concern about smoke damage to the paintings.”
Burgher said there’s been no word on how long it will take the gallery to reopen, and that there’s no alternative place for artists to show on a short notice.
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