A body was found in the demolition of the Winters Hotel in Vancouver, which was destroyed by fire on April 11.
Vancouver Fire Chief Karen Fry said the diligent demolition process was halted around 11:30 a.m. Friday morning when an observer noticed something.
“We have an experienced crew at the scene, hired by the owner of the building, and they remove very precisely pieces of debris in the areas that are most severely damaged,” she said. “We have people looking down, and if they recognize something, they call it an immediate stop,” she said.
As the fire made the structure dangerous, a full search of the building was not possible when the flames were first extinguished.
“This is a very tragic situation … these are some of the most risky people in our community,” she said. “It was a very big, aggressive fire and it would definitely be difficult for someone who was trapped to escape.
The deceased has not been identified and the BC Coronation Office is currently investigating the death. The Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) said the demolition would resume once the medical examiner allowed it.
The Winters Hotel on Abbott Street was destroyed in a fire on April 11, 2022 (Ben Nelms / CBC)
The fire was accidentally caused by unserved candles in an apartment on the second floor, displacing more than 70 residents living in single-room dwellings (SROs). The four-story brick building on Abbott Street also houses several businesses and a restaurant on the ground floor.
Another 73 tenants of the Gastown Hotel, SRO next to the Winters Hotel, also left their apartments until further notice due to toxic smoke damage.
VFRS said the sprinkler system at the Winters Hotel had been shut down and was awaiting service on April 11 due to another building fire a few days earlier.
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