Flames were shooting out of a front entrance at the abandoned site of the old Caledonian Clinic at the corner of Wallace St. and Campbell St. early Sunday morning. (submitted photo/Madison Thompson)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

swift response

VIDEO: Overnight fire breaks out at abandoned Nanaimo clinic

Mar 26, 2023 | 12:41 PM

NANAIMO — An abandoned building with a prior history of squatters is now site of a police investigation following an overnight fire.

Flames broke out and were reported by neighbours around midnight on Sunday, March 26 at the former Caledonian Clinic at the corner of Campbell St. and Wallace St. in downtown Nanaimo.

Multiple engines responded to the fire however Nanaimo Fire Rescue declined comment on the situation, telling NanaimoNewsNOW the incident was handed off to Nanaimo RCMP for investigation.

Mounties remained on scene later Sunday morning, deploying a drone at the property around 8:30 a.m. and telling NanaimoNewsNOW the area was an “active crime scene”.

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Further details from the detachment are expected Monday.

Damage extended to both inside and outside the property with content inside visibly charred from the street. In addition, an entrance facing Wallace St. sustained fire and smoke damage.

It is not immediately clear how many people were inside the property at the time, or whether there were any injuries.

The property has been fenced off and boarded up for a considerable time following closure of the clinic and attached pharmacy, however neighbours regularly report squatters and other disturbances on site.

RCMP officers on scene Sunday called the area an ‘active crime scene” and were continuing to investigate the circumstances of an overnight fire. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

It’s at least the second significant fire at the site in recent months.

At least two people were believed responsible for a small fire inside the building in late January. Smoke quickly filled the abandoned, boarded up building from suspected squatters.

When crews arrived to douse flames, one person who had been inside told firefighters a second person might be inside, however they were never located.

The now-closed clinic is poised to be torn down to make way for a 163-unit residential complex.

Developers have demolition and building permits in place to proceed to the construction phase.

Damage from an overnight fire is visible on the outside of the former Caledonian Clinic on Wallace St. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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