Accidental laundry fire forces families out of East Vancouver building

A fire has forced dozens of people out of their apartment building in East Vancouverjust days before Christmas.

Resident Cheryl Allan said her 13-year-old son accidentally started the fire in their third-floorapartment when he dropped a lit match onto a big pile of laundry.

"I was downstairs in the lobby with my parents when my boyfriend called me and said there was a fire in my living room," said Allan. "He tried to put it out, but he couldn't put it out."

Assistant Vancouver Fire Chief Ray Bryant said all residents of the building, located on Frances Street near Commercial Drive, got out safely.

He said by the time crews arrived at around 11 a.m. PT, the fire had spread into the walls and ceilings of the wood-framed building, which is operated by theVancouver Native Housing Society.

"It was only a matter of minutes before it was starting to come out the front and back of the unit," he said, noting that itwill be a while before the building is habitable again.

"One half of the buildingwill be severely damaged through fire or water orsmoke, andthe other half will be affected by the checks that have to be done to the electrical and plumbing and some rebuilding of some units."

Firefighters used a ladder to reach Allan's balcony, where her cat Jackpaws was trapped by flames and smoke.

"I want to thank them very much because I though I was going to lose him," she said. "He's OK but he did singe his back a little."

Bryant said although the building didn't have sprinklers, it did have a functioning alarm system.