Fire starts in Abbotsford laundromat, destroys businesses

Abbotsford crews tackle 2 massive fires It was a busy 24 hours for firefighters in Abbotsford, who were called to two large back-to-back fires overnight.

ABBOTSFORD - A large fire broke out at a laundromat in Abbotsford Sunday night, damaging several nearby businesses.

When crews arrived, the fire had extended into the ceiling and roof area of a laundromat according to Asst. Chief Jeff Snider with Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services. The fire started around 7:30 p.m. on George Ferguson Way near Tretheway Street.

The crews "had to do an aggressive interior attack to stop it from travelling," said Snider.

According to Snider, about eight fire crews from Abbotsford responded to the fire which affected three to four businesses that were next to the laundromat.

"Due to the extent of the fire damage in the truss system and the (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems on the roof, it wasn’t able to support that weight so it ended up collapsing through the center," he said.

Around 100 residents were also evacuated at an apartment complex that was behind the fire scene due to their HVAC systems pulling in the smoky air and filling the hallways.

"It was kind of scary. I work at a gas station, so I ran over to the Husky and made sure they turned off their gas pumps. It’s always a big fear, I don’t want anything exploding," said Sydney Ketler who lives nearby.

A fire investigator was on scene early Monday morning taking pictures and looking to see where the fire may have started. The damage is extensive with the partial roof collapse. Charred remains of clothing and burnt truss systems lined the interior of the burnt structure.

According to Snider, there were no reported injuries when the fire broke out. Snider also said that "the crews did a great job, aggressive interior attack, they got after it hard, and they made a good stop before it got to the rest of the building."