A faulty HVAC system is being blamed for a rooftop fire at a Yaletown commercial building Sunday night.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services got a number of calls from local high-rise residents at about 8:30 p.m. concerning a fire on the rooftop of a building on the corner of Homer and Helmcken streets.
Assistant Chief Brian Bertuzzi tells Global News 32 firefighters were dispatched to the 1100 block of Hamilton Street, where flames could be seen coming from the roof of the three-storey structure.
Bertuzzi says crews quickly snuffed out the flames by around 9 p.m.
Investigators have determined that the fire originated in the structure’s HVAC air duct system.
“It’s not uncommon, but we haven’t seen one for a while,” said Bertuzzi. “It was being fed by natural gas, and we still had power on to it, so it caused a few problems for the crews.”
Bertuzzi says the fire was contained to the roof, and extinguished by about 9 p.m., though crews did remain on the scene to make sure the fire didn’t chase through the ducting system.
No one was inside the building’s top floors at the time of the fire, but a restaurant on the main floor was evacuated.
There were no injuries. The extent of damage and cause of the fire is not known.
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