Another fire for Atlin, B.C., as historic building destroyed

CBC
·2 min read
A historic hotel building in Atlin, B.C., was destroyed by fire on Tuesday. It's the 5th fire in the last year in the small northern town of about 500. (Amun Dawson - image credit)
A historic hotel building in Atlin, B.C., was destroyed by fire on Tuesday. It's the 5th fire in the last year in the small northern town of about 500. (Amun Dawson - image credit)

Fire continues to smoulder the day after a historic hotel building in Atlin, B.C., was burnt to the ground.

It's the fifth fire the tiny unincorporated community has seen in the last year, including the community's post office and general store last September.

"We've had three house fires, one business and this historic building that has burnt," said firefighter Daniyel McNeil. In her twelve years with the volunteer fire department, she said she's never seen a year as busy as this.

McNeil said with all the fire activity, there is definitely a need to recruit more volunteer firefighters.

Smoke billows from where an historic hotel building in Atlin, B.C., was destroyed by fire, Sept. 12, 2023.
Smoke billows from where an historic hotel building in Atlin, B.C., was destroyed by fire, Sept. 12, 2023.

Smoke billows from the site on Tuesday. (Amun Dawson)

Atlin is an isolated community in the northern part of the province with a population of about 500. It's accessible by a single road, through the Yukon. A gold rush in Atlin coincided with the Klondike Gold rush of 1898 and many historic buildings remain from that period.

In a video captured Tuesday afternoon by Amun Dawson, flames completely engulf the century-old hotel and nip at the electric lines overhead as RCMP yell to bystanders to get back.

Jeremy Lancaster, owner of the Atlin Mountain Inn, just down the street from the old hotel, ran out to catch a final glimpse of the long-abandoned building as it went up in flames.

"From the time the sirens went to the time it collapsed and it came down, maybe 40 minutes, maybe 45 minutes total. I mean it's all gone, all the walls came down," he told CBC News.

An old hotel building in Atlin, B.C. The historic building was destroyed by fire on Sept. 12, 2023.
An old hotel building in Atlin, B.C. The historic building was destroyed by fire on Sept. 12, 2023.

The now-destroyed building seen on a winter's day. Atlin's gold rush coincided with the Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon in 1898, and there are still many buildings in town from that time. (Barb Dawson)

"It's kinda shocking to see that it's burnt up like that," said local resident Barb Dawson. "It's pretty sad."

Dawson, who grew up in the area, said in addition to the loss of history, it's strange to have yet another fire in the community.

"Very unusual. Everybody's going, 'What's happening? What's going on?'"

There is no official word on the cause of the fire.

Volunteer firefighters in Atlin, B.C., at the site of an historic hotel that was destroyed by fire, Sept. 12, 2023.
Volunteer firefighters in Atlin, B.C., at the site of an historic hotel that was destroyed by fire, Sept. 12, 2023.

Volunteer firefighters hosing down the site. It's been an unusually busy year for local firefighters in Atlin. (Amun Dawson)

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