Comox, B.C., coffee shop damaged in overnight fire
A popular Comox Valley coffee shop was heavily damaged by fire Tuesday morning.
Mackai Sharp and his friend were at the Comox Marina shortly after midnight when they heard alarms ringing and went to investigate and found heavy white smoke pouring out of the nearby Komox Grind Espresso & Smoothie Bar.
Comox assistant fire chief Jim Lariviere says crews found smoke showing and blackened windows when they arrived. (CTV News)
Sharp, who has been a frequent customer of the business, called 911 to alert first responders.
“Komox Grind is a popular spot because it’s open after school so we used to go hang out there. They’re a pretty iconic local business,” Sharp says.
Comox assistant fire chief Jim Lariviere says crews found smoke showing and blackened windows when they arrived.
“There was quite a bit of heat and we made entry and found it was an electrical fire,” Lariviere says.
He says the business sustained smoke and water damage and he estimates about 25 people were forced out of the condos above the business.
“It’s a multi-occupant building with residential and mixed-commercial," he says. "The building’s got a monitored fire alarm system so all the residential people who live above the unit were all evacuated."
Comox assistant fire chief Jim Lariviere says crews found smoke showing and blackened windows when they arrived. (CTV News)
Residents were allowed back into their units a short time later.
"After the alarms started going off, residents started trickling out towards the road and we had a little conversation with them," Sharp says. "I was really concerned it was in the apartment complex."
It’s not known how long the establishment will be closed for repairs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.