1 arrested after under-construction home goes up in flames in East Vancouver

Flames engulf house under construction Some East Vancouver residents woke up to flames and thick black smoke due to an early morning house fire.

Vancouver police are recommending arson charges against one person after a suspicious fire broke out at an under-construction East Vancouver home Friday morning.

Shortly after 8 a.m., Vancouver Fire Rescue Services got multiple calls and reports of a large amount of flames coming from the building in the 1900-block of Venables Street.

CTV News spoke with Assistant Fire Chief Ken Gemmill on the scene.

Gemmill said the fire was suspicious because of the time of day when it occurred, and Vancouver police and paramedics could also be seen responding to the blaze.

Early in the afternoon, the Vancouver Police Department confirmed in an email to CTV News that one person had been arrested in connection to the fire. The investigation is ongoing, police saidl

The first arriving crews saw a plume of smoke and called for an additional crew to be assigned, said Gemmill.

“When I arrived probably about three or four minutes later, the flames were about 20 feet above the roof, so it was a significant fire,” he said.

The first step firefighters took was to ensure the safety of everyone around the fire.

“The first concern was the neighbouring houses – how close they are in Vancouver – we did exposure lines and they took care of the neighbouring houses right away and then they attacked the actual house under construction,” said Gemmill.

Neighbouring houses have minimal damage, but the house under construction sustained significant damage, according to Gemmill, who said it is uncertain whether the house can be kept or will have to be torn down.

One neighbouring house sustained smoke damage, causing the resident to spend the night elsewhere.

“We do have ESS called for one of the occupants of the neighbouring houses. She won't be able to stay in there tonight because of the smoke damage,” Gemmill confirmed.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire, which Gemmill said was under control.