Early morning fire sends 1 to hospital, displaces dozens in Port Alberni

One person was taken to hospital and several others have been displaced after a fire in an apartment building in Port Alberni early Sunday morning. (Twitter/@portalbernifire)

One person was taken to hospital and several others have been displaced after a fire in an apartment building in Port Alberni early Sunday morning.

The Port Alberni Fire Department shared a short video of the incident on its Twitter account around 5 a.m.

In the 10-second clip, flames can be seen inside a second-floor unit. Smoke can be seen rising from the window, blackening the building's exterior wall.

Department Chief Mike Owens told CTV News the call came in around 3 a.m. When the crew on duty arrived, they saw heavy smoke and fire coming from a bedroom window in the building in the 4000-block of Seventh Avenue, Owens said.

After a brief initial attack from the outside, crews went inside to search for people who weren't able to self-evacuate. Owens said "at least" two people needed to be rescued from the building. Both were treated by paramedics at the scene, and one of them was taken to hospital.

Crews from Port Alberni and the Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded to the blaze, and the PAFD said the damage to the building was limited thanks to crews' quick work.

Owens said 24 people had registered with Emergency Support Services as a result of the fire. Some were staying with friends or family, while others were offered shelter in local hotels.

The chief said the damage to the suite where the fire originated was significant, and multiple other suites had been damaged by smoke and water.

Fire investigators were still working to determine the cause of the blaze as of Sunday afternoon, but Owens said they had not found any evidence to suggest it was suspicious.

He added that crews planned to let the building's owner back in to determine the extent of the damage and begin assessing it for insurance purposes. While the unit where the fire originated will not be habitable for quite a while, Owens said he hoped residents of other parts of the building would be able to return home soon.

PAFD & @slvfd_ca in clearing stages after an apartment fire in the 4000 block of 7th Ave. A # of occupants required rescue from the structure. 1 was transported to Hospital by BCEHS. Quick work by crews limited fire damage. Displaced residents are being taken care of by ESS. pic.twitter.com/u7qVMwE404

— Port Alberni Fire (@portalbernifire) December 19, 2021