E-bike shop in Surrey, B.C. destroyed in a weekend fire
The fire department is still investigating the cause of the blaze, which damaged at least two stores
Dozens of firefighters spent hours fighting a large blaze that destroyed at least one shop in Surrey, B.C. over the weekend.
It took 36 firefighters about six hours to put out the fire at EV Revolution, an electric bike and scooter store in a strip mall, in the Whalley neighbourhood.
Quest Non-profit Grocery Market, which is next to EV Revolution, also suffered significant damage due to the fire.
The Surrey Fire Service was called to the scene at 104 Avenue and 139 Street on Saturday, just after 7 p.m.
Mike McNamara, assistant chief of operations with the Surrey Fire Department, said crews initially entered the building, but were forced to retreat due to intense heat and thick smoke. Firefighters then shifted to a defensive attack from outside, as conditions inside quickly became too dangerous to continue.
"[Firefighters] exited the building just in case the ceiling came down … and the ceiling did come down," McNamara said.
No one was injured, but one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.
Crews said the fire was declared out on Sunday around 1 a.m.
In a statement shared after the fire, EV Revolution said it wanted to clear up speculation about the cause.
"This fire was not started by e-bikes," according to the statement. "This fire was caused by an old outdated electrical system in the attic."
The business said it had shut off all its power at 5 p.m. and the fire started two hours later.
The Surrey Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire.
In the meantime, McNamara confirmed lithium batteries in the building contributed to the fire's intensity once it was underway.
"We know that the batteries did play a part in the fire load," he said. "The thermal runaway starts moving in the batteries and then they heat up quicker than they dissipate. And then that fire just grows and grows and it's very difficult to extinguish for us."
Theodora Lamb, the executive director of Quest, said the fire caused significant damage to the grocery store.
"I think reality is setting in," she said. "It does appear that we've lost our market in Surrey."
There is smoke and water damage and the roof is completely gone, she said.
The grocery store, which serves more than 2,000 low-income clients in Surrey every week, is one of five non-profit markets operated by the organization in the region.
"We won't be able to get back in that market any time soon," Lamb said. "The community has lost a source of affordable groceries."
The plaza also houses other businesses including a fitness centre and a beauty supply shop.
EV Revolution said it plans to move to a new location by August.
McNamara said it was fortunate that the building had a firewall, which protected neighbouring businesses from more extensive damage.
The fire service is using the incident as a reminder for residents to be cautious with battery-powered devices heading into the summer.
Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries have become more common in recent years, including some that have been fatal in Vancouver.
McNamara said the department has created handouts to raise awareness of e-bike and e-scooter safety.
Some of the tips include not using aftermarket chargers, as well as keeping them out of direct sunlight and hot vehicles, so they don't get too hot.
With files from Sohrab Sandhu and The Canadian Press