'Smoking materials' likely caused Abbotsford fire that left more than 100 people homeless, officials say

Fire leaves dozens without homes The cold weather is making a devastating situation even worse for dozens of families in Abbotsford who lost their homes to a fire Sunday.

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Fire officials have completed their investigation into the cause of a massive fire that tore through an Abbotsford apartment building on Valentine’s Day, leaving more than 100 people homeless.

Ron Hull, assistant fire chief with Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service, told CTV News on Monday that the results of the investigation are undetermined due to the extent of the fire damage, but it started outside and “lean towards improperly disposed of smoking materials.”

Fire crews were called to the building on Delair Court around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 14.

“On arrival, they had fire rolling up one side of the building and the roof beginning to start involvement,” Hull said at the time. “Very shortly after that, we had fire rolling along the entire roof, helped along by the wind.”

He described flames shooting “20 or 30 feet in the air.” The blaze was so intense, it took every firefighter in Abbotsford to put it out. There were no reports of injuries.

The complex contained 57 units, all now completely uninhabitable due to extensive fire, smoke and water damage. Many of the residents living there were families with cats, given the rental building was pet-friendly.

Two dozen fundraisers have been setup through GoFundMe, trying to raise money for the victims who lost all their belongings. Many, including Dustin Wolck and his family, did not have insurance.

GoFundMe says more than $200,000 has been raised so far.