Fire guts vacant house in Coquitlam

The aftermath of a house fire near Gatensbury Street and Brisbane Avenue in Coquitlam is seen on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

A fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning that destroyed a vacant house is under investigation by Coquitlam firefighters and the RCMP.

Firefighters were called to the home in the 800 block of Gatensbury Street just before 1:30 a.m., and arrived to find the home fully engulfed in smoke and flames.

In an emailed statement to CTV News, Deputy Chief Chris Fox said 24 firefighters responded and had the fire under control within an hour.

There were no reported injuries.

“The fire caused extensive damage throughout the structure but was contained to the building of origin,” Fox wrote. “The property has a prior demolition permit application on file with the city.”

The Coquitlam RCMP told CTV News the fire is subject to “an active and ongoing investigation,” but did not provide further details.