The cause of the fire that destroyed Value Village on Hancings Street in Vancouver Wednesday night is still under investigation.
Firefighters were called to the thrift store on East Hastings Street near Victoria Drive around 10pm and it was already completely engulfed.
“The amount of flames coming out of it suggested there was a large load of fuel inside,” Matthew Trudeau, a public information officer with the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, said Thursday.
It turned into a three-alarm fire with 47 firefighters deployed.
Firefighters remained at the scene Thursday, extinguishing hot spots and extinguishing smoke still rising from the rubble.
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Three to five people were displaced due to heat and water damage to nearby buildings, but Trudeau said they should be able to return home soon.
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Read more: A fire destroys Value Village in eastern Vancouver
“Our crews did an amazing job of getting here quickly, settling in on all four corners, making sure the exposure was protected so it wouldn’t spread,” he added.
The building collapsed and Trudeau said it was “out of the ordinary” to see a fire so developed and involved even when teams arrived at the scene.
He added that there was widespread smoke throughout the city and advised residents to keep the windows closed.
At this time, Trudeau confirmed that no injuries were reported.
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