One person is dead and another remains in hospital after a fire at a Burnaby house with multiple suites in it Tuesday.
Emergency crews were called to 4450 Victory Street at about 10:30 p.m., according to acting assistant fire Chief Mark Forsberg.
On arrival, he said firefighters found smoke billowing out of almost every window and “heavy fire” coming out of the back of the building.
Upon learning there were people still inside, firefighters entered through the flames at the back, according to Forsberg.
“They encountered high heat, virtually zero visibility, and the occupants were found by the rear door,” he said.
The two people were “completely unresponsive,” he said, so firefighters initiated CPR and managed to get a pulse before handing them over to BC Ambulance.
One of the people has since died, however, and the other remains in hospital, according to Burnaby RCMP.
Forsberg said the house had been broken into multiple suites and there were reports of as many as 11 people in the building at the time of the fire.
“It has not been determined yet as to whether it was a rooming house or a halfway house,” he said. “Our fire prevention office is still looking to get information on that this morning.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, crews had not yet been able to access some parts of the home for safety reasons, according to a police update, and it has not yet been determined if the fire was suspicious or accidental.
The cause is still under investigation, police said.
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