Chilliwack -JANUARY 8 UPDATE – Chilliwack Fire calls the fire “accidental” and that someone was cooking drugs on the kitchen stove:
At 7:05pm Sunday night, firefighters from Chilliwack firehalls 1 and 4 responded to a reported explosion and fire in an apartment located in the 46000 block of Yale Road. Fire crews arrived on scene to a 4 storey apartment building that was being evacuated.
Firefighters entered the building and found evidence an explosion had occurred in one of the 2nd floor suites, with a minor fire in the kitchen. A sprinkler head had activated extinguishing the fire.
Firefighters confirmed the fire was out and shut off the sprinkler system.
Majority of the damage in the unit was related to the vapor explosion with minor fire, smoke and water damage contained to the kitchen.
Both adult occupants of the suite were fortunate to have safely evacuated with no injuries. There were no firefighter injuries.
Cause of the fire was accidental and was related to the tenant ‘cooking’ illegal drugs on the stove using a flammable gas.
JANUARY 7 ORIGINAL STORY – Shortly after 7:15PM on Sunday January 7, Chilliwack Fire and RCMP responded to reports of “big bangs” and a possible fire and explosion at the Newmark Building on the 46000 block of Yale at Victor.
Hazmat was at the scene and FVN have received a number of Social Media posts that residents of the building have been told to stay inside. Other social media posts claimed that a possible drug lab blew up in one of the second floor apartments.
RCMP media officer Cpl. Mike Rail confirmed there was a small explosion of some kind and possibly drug related. Chilliwack Fire is now leading the investigation.
Terry Roberts, whose suite is next to the damaged apartment told FVN that she was having trouble getting information on what to do re insurance and has no heard anything official from RCMP or Chilliwack Fire.
Pictures courtesy Nicole Parent/Facebook
