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2 people injured in North Vancouver high-rise blaze, deputy fire chief says

Two people are facing non-life threatening injuries, investigators are on scene to determine the cause of the fire
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Some residents are displaced after a fire in a North Vancouver high-rise apartment building Monday afternoon.

Two people were injured and several residents have been displaced after a fire in a North Vancouver high-rise apartment building Monday afternoon. 

District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services received reports for International Plaza Apartments on Marine Drive at 1:30 p.m., the district said. Two people are facing non-life threatening injuries. 

Deputy Fire Chief Chris Byrom said one person suffered smoke inhalation and another has burns. They were both taken to Lions Gate Hospital by ambulance, Byrom said. 

"There's some water damage, but all in all good news no one was injured that badly today," Byrom said. 

Byrom said the fire is believed to have started on the 18th floor of the building. 

People were trapped in adjacent suites and stairwells, needing fire crew's assistance on getting out of the building safely, Byrom said. 

Fire crew members, North Vancouver RCMP, BC Ambulance Service and North Shore Emergency Management were on scene, the deputy fire chief said, and the fire is now out. 

This is the second fire to happen at International Plaza Apartments in the last two years. Around 70 tenants were evacuated from the apartment building in December of 2022

The cause of Monday's fire and the number of people displaced are unknown at this point, Byrom said. Investigators were back on scene Tuesday to determine the cause and should know more soon. North Shore Emergency Management is providing assistance for residents displaced by the fire. 

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative[email protected]