UPDATE: Fire reported at Aurora Manor in Fort Nelson

This article has been updated with information provided by Fort Nelson Fire Chief James Childs and a recent community post provided by the NRRM. 

FORT NELSON, B.C. — The Northern Rockies Fire Rescue responded to a fire at Fort Nelsons’ Aurora Manor on 5220 49 Street early Thursday morning.

Fort Nelson Fire Chief James Childs says the department received a call on the fire just after 5:30 a.m. 

After the fire crew arrived on the scene, the fire was burning on the far west wall and consuming the first and second-floor balconies. 

“Firefighters contained the fire fairly quickly to the exterior of the building and the inside of the building just received a lot of water and smoke damage,” said Childs. 

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) posted a community update on social media, saying the fire was put out before 8 a.m. 

Emergency Support Services (ESS) provided assistance to residents impacted by the blaze.

There are no serious injuries reported, and only one person being treated for smoke inhalation. 

According to Childs, all impacted residents were registered with ESS before being moved to a local hotel. 

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but Childs, on behalf of the Office of the Fire Commissioner, is investigating.

Childs says there is no information at this time indicating that arson may have caused the fire. 

It is not clear how much damage has been caused to the building, but Child says it could easily be tens of thousands of dollars. 

A community update from the NRRM says that the Office of the Fire Commissioner has established a provincial Accelerant Detection K9 Team (ADK9T) to support fire and police services. 

Childs says he has requested ADK9T services in response to the alarming incidents in the Fort Nelson area over the last three weeks. 

“We’ve been having a lot of suspicious fires happening to residential and business properties,” said Childs. 

The NRRM will provide updates as they become available.

If the cause of the fire is deemed suspicious, the RCMP will take over the investigation. 

The NRRM encourages those with information or questions about the fire to reach out at JustAsk@NorthernRockies.ca or at 250-774-2541.