Man dead after fire at abandoned Burnaby apartment

Fatal fire in abandoned Burnaby condo One person died after flames tore through an empty condo building where people had been seeking shelter form the cold.

The Burnaby Fire Department is investigating an apartment fire that claimed the life of one person late Tuesday night.

According to crews, they received a call at 9:16 p.m. of a fire inside a three-storey abandoned building on Maywood Street near Willingdon Avenue, which is close to Metrotown.

The fire department says when they arrived they found and rescued a woman on a third-storey balcony who was suffering from minor smoke inhalation. A team then entered the burning building where they located a second person.

After the man was pulled to safety, the fire department says he later died in ambulance. The cause of his death has yet to be confirmed, but the Burnaby Fire Department says it's likely due to the heavy smoke conditions.

The fire remains under investigation although the fire department told CTV News that people had been inside the abandoned building likely trying to stay warm during the recent cold snap.

Two suites on the third floor are said to be damaged in the blaze and crews were on scene throughout the night monitoring hotspots.

Burnaby Fire Department says nine trucks responded with a total of 33 firefighters on scene.