Fire at Vancouver’s Chinese Cultural Centre being investigated as arson: police

A fire that damaged Vancouver’s Chinese Cultural Centre is being investigated as arson.

Surveillance footage from just before 5 p.m. Sunday shows a person behind the centre.

Minutes later, smoke and fire can be seen coming from the same spot.

1:52 Suspicious fire being investigated in Chinatown

Firefighters descended on the scene within minutes, according to Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.

Around 40 firefighters were able to use a minimal amount of water and minimize damage to the iconic building, assistant fire chief Ken Gemmill told Global News Sunday.

“It has a lot of storefronts, lots of ESL student centres,” he added.

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“There doesn’t appear to be anyone injured as far as occupants because it’s not a habitable building. It’s more of a commercial kind of access building.”

The fire marked the third two-alarm fire in the area in as many days, Gemmill added.

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“They’ve got some footage and perhaps … some witnesses in the back that saw somebody lighting a fire in the back.”

One firefighter was taken to hospital after he injured his hand trying to break into the building to find the source of the smoke, he said.

Sgt. Steve Addison with the Vancouver Police Department said investigators are trying to determine if Sunday’s fire is linked to any of the attacks of vandalism targeting Chinatown or other fires in the neighbourhood.