A building on Shaw Avenue in southwest Coquitlam had to be evacuated Sunday afternoon when a fire broke out in a basement laundry room.
Chief Wade Pierlot said there was so much smoke that many residents were taken off their balconies by ladder in order to avoid inhaling the fumes that filled the hallways.
"The smoke actually entered the building through the elevator shaft," he said. "We were dealing with a large amount of smoke that had accumulated in there… it became a major evacuation for the residents."
Residents spent the day outside the building while a restoration crew removed the smoke and all but one occupant was allowed to return to their home by the evening time. There were no injuries in the incident.
Pierlot said investigators are still working to determine exactly what caused the blaze, but he that dryers in laundry rooms are common sources of fires.
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