FIREFIGHTERS rescued two elderly residents from a 10th floor apartment Thursday morning after a fire broke out in one of the Woodcroft highrise towers at 2012 Fullerton Ave.
District of North Vancouver fire crews raced to the scene off Capilano Road after smoke and flames were reported coming from the window of an apartment on the Pemberton building's ninth floor. When they arrived, "There was heavy smoke and flame coming out of the ninth floor window," said assistant fire chief Mike Cairns.
Residents of the 13-floor apartment building had already evacuated after the fire alarm went off.
One fire crew went into the building to tackle the fire on the ninth floor. One of two occupants of the apartment - a young woman, who was home when the fire broke out - had already managed to escape.
But flames raced up the exterior wall and began a second fire in the 10th floor apartment directly above where the fire started, said Cairns.
Two elderly occupants, one of whom had medical issues, were unable to get out without assistance and were still in the apartment when a second fire crew went into the building. Fortunately the fire was contained in a bedroom and the door remained shut, keeping smoke out of the rest of the apartment. Fire crews were able to help the couple out of the building.
Cairns said fire inspectors believe the fire started in one of the bedrooms of the ninth floor apartment but likely will never determine the exact cause. He added the heavy fire damage - likely in the order of $400,000 - makes the task more difficult. The fire isn't being considered suspicious however.
By Thursday afternoon residents had been allowed back in to the building, with the exception of the ninth and 10th floors.
The 13-storey apartment building was built before sprinkler systems were mandatory and does not have sprinklers.
