Two businesses have been destroyed after a fire consumed the Windsor Plywood location in Chilliwack on Friday afternoon, according to the city’s fire department.
A release from the Chilliwack Fire Department said the blaze broke out sometime around 2:30 p.m. in the yard located on Vedder Road at Wells Road.
The department said a customer first noticed flames in a door and lumber storage area of the business. Staff evacuated the building and called 911.
“The fire spread quickly and aggressively from the door and lumber storage area to the main store area,” reads the release.
The fire burned fast and hot as the yard was full of wood. Flames shot high into the sky and smoke from the blaze could be seen all over town.
The release said crews worked to contain the flames to the building where the fire started, and to protect a new apartment building being built next door.
“Firefighters contained the fire to the building of origin, which sustained heavy fire damage resulting in structural failure of walls and the roof system,” reads the release.
Chilliwack Fire Department Asst. Chief Andrew Brown said the Canadian Liquidator Retail Store, which shares the building, was destroyed along with Windsor Plywood.
Nobody was injured in the blaze, and its cause is under investigation.
BC Hydro confirmed 4,500 customers lost power in the area after crews de-energized nearby power lines for safety reasons.
The utility later said they expected the power to be turned back on around 8:30 p.m., but it wasn’t until 2 a.m. Saturday that all customers had service restored.
—With files from Robyn Crawford and Claire Fenton