Coquitlam firefighters are mopping up a fire that broke out in a warehouse on Schoolhouse Street early Thursday morning.
The blaze started around midnight and firefighters were called to the scene of a smokey fire inside a telecommunications business at 175 Schoolhouse St.
They entered the building that appeared to be secure, with no evidence of unauthorized entry, Fire Chief Jim Ogloff said, but eventually firefighters had to withdraw because the smoke was too thick and there was concern about the ceiling collapsing and other hazards.
“Conditions were quite tenuous,” Ogloff told the Tri-City News.
However, it wasn’t long before the fire broke through the roof, emitting flames and smoke, and crews were able to attack the blaze from outside of the building. The fire was subsequently contained and no other businesses were affected, Ogloff said.
“Fortunately, there’s no exposure of fire damage to other buildings. But the building in question has got some significant fire damage,” Ogloff said.
Crews are still on the scene putting out hot spots and investigators will be determining the cause of the blaze. However, finding the exact cause of the fire may take some time because the building is too dangerous to access, Ogloff noted.
