A look inside apartment destroyed in downtown Vancouver highrise fire

Tenant gets look inside fire-ravaged suite A massive fire at a downtown highrise left one tenant with little more than the passport he grabbed before he fled.

Cole Mcleod was home with his roommate in their 21st floor apartment on Monday afternoon when the fire alarm went off in the downtown Vancouver building. Then, he smelled smoke.

“So we went into the master bedroom, and then there was a bunch of smoke billowing from the unit below. And that's when we realized it's a real problem. And by the time we were down the stairs, because the elevators were locked, all the firemen were already on the way up,” said McLeod.

When they got down to street level, three apartments had been engulfed by fire, including their own. McLeod watched in horror as debris rained down from the inferno above.

“It was pretty scary stuff,” he said.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services captain Matthew Trudeau said it was a dangerous scene for pedestrians below.

“We had material coming off hitting our vehicle and embers coming off as well. While there were still aluminum pieces, glass pieces that were coming off, right on to Nicola Street,” said Trudeau.

Complicating firefighting efforts, the building was built in 1991, a year before sprinklers were made mandatory for new high rises in Vancouver.

“We were bringing up all of our equipment 20 floors up, and then fighting a fire. And on at that fire floor, the crews that were there were going through multiple cylinders of air because we need to bring our own air up there,” said Trudeau.

Eventually fire-fighters managed to contain the blaze using hose connectors in the building stairways. No one was hurt.

“Right now, our fire services are still inside the unit, working for cause and origin,” said Trudeau, who added rumours there was a drug lab in a 20th floor apartment are false.

Three units were totally destroyed in the fire, including McLeods. He was allowed back inside to survey the damage Tuesday morning.

“All of the windows were completely gone, you know, we had all the furniture, desks, beds, TVs….essentially everything is rubble,” McLeod said, who has been left with nothing but the clothes he was wearing when he left the building and one valuable item.

“I did manage to grab my passport. Thankfully, it's not ash. So that's a silver lining,” he said.

The 27-year-old renter and his roommate both have insurance, but they haven’t been to speak to anyone with the company yet. They spent Monday night with family members while they waited to hear what comes next.

“No one really expects that to happen to their own building and their own unit. But I'm glad everyone's safe. And I think that's what's most important right now,” said Mcleod.

He said the fire is a cautionary tale for high-rise dwellers who often hear fire alarms and ignore them. ”I really urge you to just please take the precautions and do what you can to get yourself to safety.”