Fire displaces residents of North Vancouver building for 2nd time in 2 years

A blaze at an apartment building has displaced residents and led to two injuries in the District of North Vancouver, almost two years after a fire at the same building displaced dozens.

Fire crews say they were called to the building at 1959 Marine Drive around 1:30 p.m. on Monday, and found a fire on the 18th floor of the building.

Chris Byrom, deputy fire chief for the District of North Vancouver, called it a "significant fire" that meant crews had to jump into action.

He said there were people trapped in adjacent suites, as well as people needing medical assistance in stairwells. Two people had to be treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns, Byrom said.

Eight trucks were dispatched in total to deal with the blaze, he said, with support coming from West Vancouver and City of North Vancouver crews. He called it an "amazing effort" to bring the blaze under control.

A little under two years ago, in December 2022, two were injured and the residents of 26 homes had to vacate their units due to the damage. 

Byrom said that Monday's fire has no connection to that fire. At the time that he spoke to CBC News, the cause of the most recent fire hadn't been determined.

Byrom said that it's unclear how many units were affected, and how many people would be displaced.

The District of North Vancouver provided services to those who had to leave their homes on Monday, he said, and was transporting them back to the building when it was safer.