Kamloops fire crews knock down fire in derelict apartment

Firefighters doused a fire within a downtown Kamloops apartment building this morning.

Kamloops Fire Rescue was called to 91 Seymour Street West around 5 a.m., Dec. 15, where they had the flames knocked down before it spread to surrounding buildings.

The building was boarded up more than a year ago under the fire chief's orders, riddled with safety hazards. Tenants, legal and otherwise, were ejected from the building until it was repaired.

Just how much progress was made on the repairs isn't clear, and neither is the cause of the fire.

Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc said the fire started in the basement and worked its way up to the top floor. Crews were able to keep the fire contained, but they couldn't access the source of the fire in the basement due to arcing in the electrical room.

He also said a door to access the basement from the outside was slightly open, but the cause isn't clear.

The cause of the fire will be difficult to determine because of just how much of the basement was both burned and flooded, with water now flowing out through the foundations, Uzeloc said.

There were no injuries in the fire.

— This story was updated at 12:18 p.m., Dec. 15, 2023, with comments from Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc.

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