In the wake of a massive fire that destroyed a partly built condominium building in Saanich in the early hours of Wednesday, the multimillion-dollar question is whether two levels of underground parking and the foundation escaped unharmed.
That’s still being determined by structural engineers, but if that’s the case, rebuilding the complex at the corner of Quadra Street and Palmer Road will be much quicker than if upgrading is required, Abstract Developments president Mike Miller said Thursday.
“We are cautiously optimistic that we can reuse everything, or mostly, and then just start with a new wood frame,” he said.
Quadra Street is expected to reopen in the area to single-lane alternating traffic at 7 a.m. today after being closed since the fire broke out.
On Thursday, heavy equipment was at the site pulling out twisted piles of blackened scaffolding and dumping it into large containers, amid the faint scent of burned wood.
The fire knocked out power to more than 2,000 households starting just after 1 a.m. Wednesday. The lights were back on by 8 a.m. Thursday, after B.C. Hydro crews worked through the night on repairs.
Saanich police continue to investigate the cause of the fire.
Construction of the 77-unit building began in September of last year, and included extensive excavating and blasting, Miller said. Buyers were expected to move in during the late summer or early fall of 2025.
Seventy-two units in the six-storey wood-frame building had been pre-sold.
The company’s “best assessment right now” is that the purchase and sale agreements are still valid, Miller said, adding it aims to deal with the situation on a case-by-case basis.
Miller, who estimates that the fire caused more than $10 million in damage, hopes that a date can be set to resume work on the project within the next week or so. “Let’s try to get these purchasers in their homes as fast as humanly possible.”
Cleanup work started at the company’s expense prior to insurance funds arriving, Miller said, noting a company team went out Wednesday to secure an adjacent house where windows had blown out in the fire. “We’re trying to help as much as we can.”
General contractor Campbell Construction has been working with the Saanich Fire Department on clean up, Miller said, adding many in the development sector have reached out offering to help.
Strong winds sent debris from the fire flying as much as five kilometres away to the Panama Flats area.
Carey Road resident Sarah Wakefield awoke on Wednesday to find “burnt insulation and charcoal bits all over my yard in front of my house and along the road and my neighbour’s driveway as well.”
Raymond Primeau has been climbing onto his Lodge Avenue neighbours’ rooftops to aim his leaf blower at black debris covering homes and filling gutters.
Neighbour Alan Mayzes was awakened by the smell of smoke on Wednesday to find “it was raining red-hot embers here,” and sprayed water on his roof to protect his home. He has since filled two garbage cans with debris, with plenty more left to clean up.
Some chunks are the size of grapefruits, he said.
Melanie Dry, who also lives on Lodge Avenue, was busy Thursday afternoon doing a major cleanup. Debris litters her back yard — it burned into the backyard trampoline and dog beds, ruined the patio furniture and melted the top of her RV trailer, said Dry, who has contacted her insurer. “It was literally raining fire here.”
The family koi pond was cleaned out quickly to protect the fish, she said.
Dry scrambled to evacuate two children and four dogs — she runs a dog rescue — early Wednesday before the power went off.
Saanich said its crews are working to clear debris from the drainage system around the site, and have installed booms and absorbent material in the drainage outfall.
A streetsweeper has taken multiple passes over the road to clear debris, the district said.
A telecommunications pole damaged in the fire will have to be removed, but the timing is not yet known.
Wayne Farey, president of Campbell Construction, said about 40 people had been working on the site, including about 10 employed by Campbell.
Most workers have moved to other company projects but there were a couple of layoffs, he said. Remaining workers were provided by subcontractors, who are likely in the same situation, Farey said.
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