27 suites remain closed off following Coquitlam structure fire

An investigation into the recent Coquitlam strata complex fire is set to begin today, confirmed Coquitlam fire chief Scott Young.

Crews rushed to the Princess Court building just west of Lafarge Lake-Douglas at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Thursday evening to find flames stretching up 30 feet from the second-floor balconies.

Crews knocked down balcony fires “fairly quickly,” and the blaze was considered knocked down at about 8:30 p.m.

“At every fire this size, the challenging time is from the time you knock down the fire until you can determine who can go back in,” Young explained to city council on Monday.

As crews surveyed the damage, about 70 adults, 10 children, and five dogs took shelter at the nearby City Centre Aquatic Complex.

After an assessment, the fire department concluded that 27 of the 154 units were uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage.

The other residents were able to move back on Thursday evening as crews fixed the fire alarm and sprinkler system while taking other precautions.

“They did have to put some safety measures in place, including eight security guards,” Young said.

Four RCMP officers who helped residents out of the building had to be treated for smoke inhalation. They have since returned to work, Young said.

The fire investigation is set to include insurance investigators, Young stated.

The investigation was initially set to begin Friday but the balcony area was considered structurally unsafe, Young explained.

Coun. Matt Djonlic, who was one of the tenants displaced by the fire, expressed thanks to Coquitlam Fire on behalf of himself and his neighbours.

Discussing the issue on Monday, he seemed to find a bright side.

“As a millennial councillor, it’s fitting that I’m faced with moving back in with my parents,” he said.

In December, a fire tore through a vacant apartment building on North Road. That blaze was considered suspicious.