Early morning fire in Downtown Eastside displaces dozens of residents

Dozens of people in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have been rendered homeless after a fire damaged multiple buildings, two of which were residential.

Fire Chief Karen Fry told CBCNews thatcrews were called to a shed fire at Powell Street and Princess Avenue around 3:30 a.m. PT Monday. When first responders arrived, they determined it was a full structure fire.

Assistant Fire Chief Pierre Morin saysthe cause of the fire is an apparentexplosion. The cause of that explosion is not known but it blew out a couple of windows before flames spread to the inside of the buildings.

The buildings involvedinclude two housing sites and what Fry believes to be a business.

She said the roof of the first building that caught fire has collapsed.

One of the buildings, located at 215 Princess Ave., housed 42 residents, Fry said, and another on Powell Street was home to 17 people.

"The big thing is we now have upwards of 60 more residents in our community that are not going to have housing this evening ... and probably for several weeks, if not longer," she said.

Jeffrey Allenson, who lives at 568Powell St., is one of the many forced out of their homes.

He said he was sitting on his bed when he says he heard a "boom," followed by a whistling.

"You could hear the fire," he said."The entire building just shook."

He said he could see flames shooting out from the building next door.

Allenson says his landlord is trying to find residents a place to stay tonight. Emergency Support Services was on site to help displaced residents. The City estimates it is helping 45 to 50 people.

"We are doing all we can to help displaced residents and keep everyone safe," Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said in a tweet.

Fry said she expected the residents of the Princess Avenue building to be displaced until water and smoke damage can be assessed. Morin says there is significant fire and water damage to both buildings.

One person was taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation, and a firefighter was injured and treated on scene, Fry said.

More than40 firefighters were involved in putting the fire out, she added.

As of 12p.m. PT, Princess Avenue and part of Powell Street remain closed to traffic.