Fire at Surrey apartment building displaces 56 households

A fire at a four-storey apartment building in the Fleetwood neighbourhood of Surrey, B.C., that burned for hours has displaced the residents of the 56 units there.

The fire started late Friday night at 160th Street and 84th Avenue, near the Fraser Highway, and kept burning well into Saturday. Late Saturday morning, smoke clouds continued to billow skywards as firefighters struggled to keep the flames under control.

Deputy Fire Chief Mark Griffoen said part of the difficulty in putting out the fire was because firefighters had to fight the blaze from outside. But the flames were under the roof, which is designed to keep water out.

"We just have to keep at it and persist," he said.

Despite those efforts, Griffoen admitted it's unlikely the building's residents will be returning home anytime soon. The city is trying to provide support for those who have been displaced, he said.

Everyone was evacuated safely and no injuries have been reported.

Griffoen said it's too early to determine a cause for the fire. It's unusual for fires to last so long, he said.