Fire chief Karen Fry said crews had rescued “several” occupants of the heritage building in Gastown’s neighborhood, but that “more than a handful” were still missing.
The fire broke out in the building just before 11 in the morning. The building on Abbott Street has businesses on the ground floor and low-income homes on the upper levels and it seems that the fire started on one of the floors of the houses.
A witness told CTV News that she saw people jumping safely from the building into the historic neighborhood popular with tourists and locals for its bars, restaurants and shops.
It is not clear how many were rescued, but BC Emergency Health Services told CTV News that two people were taken to hospital in serious condition and three other people considered “stable” were also taken.
According to Fry, one of these men was injured while jumping from an upper floor.  Another was taken to hospital after being rescued for about an hour by firefighters using a ladder truck.
Others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, BCEHS said in an email.

“I LOST EVERYTHING”

A man who said he was living near the fire station and was at home at the time told CTV News: “I lost everything.”
A resident who identified himself as Chris said in addition to smoke and fire damage, many firefighters’ efforts were concentrated in and near his unit, which means there will also be significant water damage.
He said the fire started on the second floor and that the smoke was so thick on the third floor that he could not see anything.  He said he believed most people came out on their own or were rescued, but there were still some animals inside.
Another resident, Nicole, said she was the first to alert others to the fire by shouting.
“As soon as I opened my door a big blast of smoke came to my face and I shouted ‘Fire,'” she said in an interview at the scene.
“I made sure everyone could hear me. After that, I quickly grabbed my animals and went outside. I don’t even have a jacket. My partner doesn’t even have shoes on his feet. We just had to go outside.”
He said many who lived in the building had nowhere to go.
Nicole said she saw two people rescued by firefighters who were so exposed to the smoke that they “just fell to the ground” when they got out.  They were treated for smoke inhalation, he added.
“It’s scary. I’m still shaking.”

DOZENS DISPLACED

At the scene, smoke billowed from the windows and roof of the four-story brick building near Water Street as firefighters aimed pipes at the upper floors.
Fry said “13 fire engines” were at the scene with three fire alarms, in addition to the nine BCEHS ground paramedics and three paramedics.
The upper floors are run by a non-profit organization as a one-room hotel for lower income residents.
The organization that manages the building, the Atira Women’s Resource Society, told CTV News that the hotel has about 90 units and that a sorting area has been set up to help those displaced by the fire.
Staff at Atira were already able to offer some residents alternative accommodation on other properties, a spokesman said.  They also work with a partner organization to provide overnight shelter.
Atira is seeking donations of men’s and women’s clothing and pet supplies and is requesting that donations be transferred to Bette’s Boutique – which also operates the nonprofit – at the intersection of Main and Cordova Streets.
Public Safety Secretary Mike Farnworth referred to the situation ahead of a news conference Monday afternoon, saying the county would help coordinate support for those affected, including displaced residents.
He said BC Housing had been notified and it was estimated that about 70 tenants would need to relocate.  A reception center is being set up for those in need, Farnworth said.
“Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the firefighters at the scene.”

TOXIC TOBACCO DIFFERENT IN THE CENTER

From morning until afternoon, smoke was visible from several kilometers away as flames poured from the roof of the red brick building.  There is no estimate yet of the damage caused by the fire.
Some in the area reported power outages and the Simon Fraser University Goldcorp Arts Center closed “due to poor air quality”.
The school said all events and classes in the Woodwards building have been canceled.  Vancouver police are urging drivers to avoid the area because of the fire.
The Vancouver Fire Department told those in the city center to keep their windows closed to avoid toxic indoor smoke.
This is breaking news and will be updated. 
With files from Maria Weisgarber and Bhinder Sajan of CTV News Vancouver and the Canadian Press
Smoke from a fire in downtown Vancouver can be seen from Mount Holburn on Monday, April 11, 2022. (Carly Yoshida-Butryn / CTV News Vancouver)
Smoke appears to be blowing outside Vancouver’s Gastown neighborhood during a fire with three alarms on April 11, 2022. 
Firefighters work to put out a three-fire alarm in Vancouver’s Gastown neighborhood on April 11, 2022. (Submitted)
Spectators watch the scene of a fire in Vancouver on Monday, April 11, 2022. (Jim Fong / CTV News Vancouver)
The scene of a fire on Abbott Street is pictured in Vancouver on Monday, April 11, 2022. (Jim Fong / CTV News Vancouver)
A fire rips through a building in Vancouver’s Gastown neighborhood on Monday, April 11, 2022. (Jim Fong / CTV News Vancouver)