Fire destroys roof of old hotel in B.C.’s Interior

Fire has ravaged an old B.C. hotel that has roots dating back more than a century.

First built in 1896 but destroyed by fire in 1931, the Salmo Hotel has an unknown future after flames engulfed the building’s roof on Friday afternoon.

Salmo, a community of around 1,100, is located in the Kootenays, at the junction of highways 3 and 6, and is around a four-hour drive east of Kelowna.

The village’s mayor, Diana Lockwood, called the fire devastating.

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“This is one of our oldest buildings in our community,” Lockwood told Global News. “The Salmo Hotel is one of the only hotels left from devastation of fires years ago.

“Our volunteer fire department has done remarkable work to contain (the fire) to only that building, and not spread to any other buildings.”

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The two-storey building is located along Highway 6, which runs through the community.

The village put out an alert on its Facebook page, asking residents to conserve water while firefighters battled the blaze.

Lockwood said the village sits atop an aquifer, and that safeguarding the water supply for the fire department is prudent.

Global News has reached out to police for more information.

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