June 17, 2009

Most of the development burnt to the ground after a fire started at about 9:50 am on June 11.

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Townhouse Construction

Fire destroys 29-unit townhouse development under construction in Coquitlam, British Columbia

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

A massive fire completely destroyed a development under construction in Coquitlam, B.C. last week.

Evergreen is a 29-unit townhouse development, designed and built by Springbank Development Corporation to the Built Green BC Gold standard.

Most of the development burnt to the ground after a fire started at about 9:50 am on June 11.

Media reports said a roofer using propane sparked the blaze, but an eyewitness had a different version of events.

“A guy was applying torch-on to the base of the building and we were working on the floor of the building right across from him,” said Andrew Skinner, a framer with Hiebbs Housing.

“After the fire started, he went to get the extinguisher. But it didn’t work because it was empty. That is when I raised the alarm.”

Assistant fire chief Greg Mayberry said the construction site was fully involved when six units arrived at the scene.

Firefighters had the fire under control in a little more than an hour.

“There were workers on the roof, but the cause of the fire is under active investigation,” said Mayberry.

“We are looking at the construction of the building and what materials were being used.”

Skinner said two destroyed buildings were nearly complete and had already been inspected by engineers.

The fire jumped to several nearby houses and a townhouse.

The fire took quite a toll.

“As soon as it happened, it was too late,” said Nick Hiebert, owner of Hiebbs Housing.

“I lost all my tools that are worth $20,000, everything, including my trailer, compressors, pig tanks and (nail) guns.”

He said a number of trades were working at the time of the fire, including carpenters, siding installers, electricians and roofers.

He estimated that the fire would put 60 people out of work.

According to eyewitnesses, at one point flames were shooting 20 feet into the air.

“The fire created a windstorm that caused two houses to catch fire several blocks away,” Mayberry said.

The two smaller fires on roofs across the road were caused by large burning embers, created by the fire storm.

These fires were quickly extinguished.

Intense heat forced the evacuation of a number of people living in the area.

The fire caused window blinds and the numbers off the front of houses to melt.

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