An early morning fire in downtown Parksville caused serious damage to an office building in Memorial Plaza. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

no injuries

Quick-moving fire causes significant damage to downtown Parksville office building

Sep 22, 2022 | 10:31 AM

PARKSVILLE — A suspicious early morning caused major damage to a two-storey multi-unit business centre in the heart of Parksville’s downtown core.

First responders first got the call on Thursday, Sept. 22 shortly after 6:00 a.m. to the building at 141 Memorial Ave. just off the Alberni Hwy. where smoke and later flames shot from the back of the building when crews arrived.

Parksville Fire Chief Marc Norris said the fire was attacked from the building’s rear exterior, while other crews entered through the front door.

“There was active fire in both floor areas. After a structural collapse in the rear of the second floor of some of the roof, we withdrew the crews who were inside and just worked from the outside,” Morris told NanaimoNewsNOW.

He said there didn’t appear to be anyone inside at the time of the blaze and no injuries were reported.

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Norris said a man who was out for his morning walk was one of the first people to call 9-1-1.

“He thought it was odd there was some smoke in the air, and was walking along the highway and decided to walk up and check, and there was a fire at the rear of the building.”

When firefighters arrived on scene, the fire had spread to the first and second story of the building along with the roof.

The fire was determined to be suspicious later Thursday morning.

Oceanside RCMP members are now investigating. Multiple police officers were seen canvasing the area following the fire.

Preliminary investigation determined the fire was deliberately set at the rear exterior of the building, according to a late Thursday morning news release from Oceanside RCMP.

The aftermath of the office building fire once crews were able to extinguish the flames. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Preliminary investigation determined the fire was deliberately set at the rear exterior of the building, according to a release sent out after 11:00 a.m by the Oceanside RCMP.

Damage to the building is significant, including from fire, smoke and suppression efforts. Norris added the building is not occupiable after the fire.

Around six to eight businesses are located inside the building will be affected indefinitely.

An animal hospital next door also had some smoke inside of it when crews inspected it, but no animals were on site at the time.

The smell of smoke was still strong in the air for most of the morning with the area on the Alberni Hwy. between the Island Hwy. and Hirst Ave closed off.

Some debris from the fire made its way to the Parksville Memorial Plaza, but no damage occurred as a result to the area.

Norris said three engines from Parksville were called out, as well as another engine out of Errington and one from Qualicum Beach, with around 35 firefighters in total on scene.

It took fire crews several hours to knock the blaze down.

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