Missing man likely died in northern B.C. hotel fire: RCMP

The Fraser Lake municipal government imposed water use restrictions on residents in the wake of the fire to ensure the village reservoir contained enough water to fight any potential flareups. (Handout)

Police say a fire that destroyed a hotel and a neighbouring business in northern British Columbia over the weekend was likely fatal.

The blaze broke out around 3 a.m. Sunday at a strip mall in the village of Fraser Lake, a small community approximately 150 kilometres west of Prince George.

Police and firefighters responded to the strip mall’s Fraser Lake Inn, where a man reportedly entered the hotel building after the fire broke out and was not seen again.

The Fraser Lake RCMP says officers tried to search for the man but they were pushed out of the building by heavy smoke.

Firefighters eventually got the flames under control but only after the hotel and a neighbouring cannabis business were destroyed, the RCMP said in a news release Tuesday.

“The investigation is ongoing and the search for the missing person is underway. However, the site remains unsafe for personnel due to heat and toxic off-gassing,” Staff Sgt. Kris Clark, spokesperson for the B.C. RCMP, said in a statement Tuesday.

“Tragically, it is believed that the outstanding person has likely died in the fire.”

Investigators say the cause of the blaze is still undetermined, but nothing at the scene to indicates criminality was involved.

The Fraser Lake municipal government imposed water use restrictions on residents in the wake of the fire to ensure the village reservoir contained enough water to fight any potential flareups.

The restrictions, which instruct residents to use water for their essential needs only, could be lifted as early as Wednesday as the reservoir levels continue to rise, the local government said in an update Tuesday.

“The village will share updates on services as soon as they become available, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding during this time,” the municipal government said in a statement on its website.

“Information regarding any missing persons will come directly from the RCMP, and details about the cause of the fire will be released once the official investigation is complete.”