Victoria BC – Two officers were transported to hospital, and one man is in custody after an early morning fire in the 2500 Block of Blanshard Street.
Shortly before 4:00 a.m., VicPD patrol officers were called to the 2500-block of Blanshard Street for the initial report of a dispute in the complex. Officers entered the location to ensure the safety of those involved and found the interior of the suite to be on fire with multiple residents inside.
Officers were able to safely remove all residents from the suite and attempted to extinguish the fire, but it was too involved. Additional officers assisted with evacuating surrounding units as the fire quickly spread to the neighboring suites. One male was taken into custody by officers on scene and there is no reason to believe that the public is at risk.
Victoria Fire and Emergency Health Services attended and transported two officers to hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation. The damage to the complex appears to be extensive at this point and the majority of the residents have been relocated to alternate residences as the suites are not inhabitable.
Officers with VicPDs Major Crime Unit and Forensic Identification Section attended and are continuing their investigation as it is in the early stages. There is no information to indicate this fire is related to any other fires in the Victoria area, including the old Plaza Hotel.
If you have any information, or witnessed anything this morning, we want to hear from you. Call us at 250-995-7654.