Several businesses are impacted after a commercial building in Nanaimo suffered “significant damage” from an early morning fire.
Firefighters responded at 6 a.m. Friday, May 5, to the structure fire in the Norwell Professional Centre at the corner of Norwell Drive and Barons Road that appears to have started in the building’s parkade.
“It was, basically, a people experiencing homelessness fire in the parkade, that had been going for a little bit and burnt up through the parkade, through the floor somehow, and it got into the first floor,” said Stu Kenning, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief.
He said fire crews reported there was significant damage to the building’s first floor and several businesses will be impacted.
An accounting firm, learning centre, law firm and insurance company are among the businesses operating there.
“Businesses will be out of there for, at least, a bit until we can get some remediation done,” he said.
Kenning said no one was at the site when firefighters arrived, there was no one in the building at the time and there were no injuries.
“Our investigators are on scene right now, but the cause does seem to be a homeless fire,” he said.
READ ALSO: One person found dead following fire at Nanaimo clinic slated for demolition
READ ALSO: Fire in vacant building sparks four-alarm response from Nanaimo Fire Rescue
chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter