Firefighters saved eight North Vancouver residents after a blaze swept through a Lower Lonsdale duplex shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
In a series of calls to 9-1-1, neighbours reported flames and smoke billowing from the second storey of an East Third Street duplex, according to District of North Vancouver assistant fire chief Brian Hutchinson.
Led by the City of North Vancouver’s firefighters, all three North Shore fire halls battled the blaze, according to Hutchinson.
Crews tried to control the fire from inside the duplex but the flames spread to the third floor and the roof started to noticeably weaken shortly after 2 a.m., according to Hutchinson.
Firefighters helped eight residents safely outside before the roof collapsed, according to Hutchinson.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Crews turned off the hoses around 4:30 a.m., leaving firefighters to check for hot spots until about 7:30 a.m., according to Hutchinson.
While the east portion of the duplex will need extensive repairs, the west side only suffered smoke and water damage, according to Hutchinson.
The fact that no injuries were suffered is partly due to the quick thinking and fingers of the 9-1-1 callers, according to Hutchinson.
“What really was advantageous was that quick call to 9-1-1,” he said. “Quick action allows us to take quick action.”
