A condominium complex on McKenzie Avenue near Quadra Street was evacuated late Tuesday afternoon after a fire broke out in a second-floor unit.
Scott Farrar was at home in his fourth-floor unit at 1005 McKenzie Ave. when the fire alarm sounded around 3 p.m.
“Coming down the stairs you could smell smoke and it was obviously from the second storey,” he said Wednesday.
Initial fire-suppression efforts in the suite were effective but crews then discovered the blaze had moved into walls and spread within the 1975 building, the Saanich Fire Department said in a statement.
Victoria firefighters attended to help combat the fire.
Firefighters were at the scene into the evening on Tuesday to completely extinguish the fire, assess damage and investigate the cause, the department said.
The exact cause has not yet been determined but it appears not to be suspicious, the department said, noting a broken water line led to substantial water damage.
The Saanich Emergency Program set up a reception centre at Gordon Head Recreation Centre for displaced residents of the 69-unit building, from about 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Evacuees were given dinner and emergency support services including accommodation, food, clothing, and incidentals, the fire department said.
Residents are now waiting for an assessment to learn if there was any contamination of the building as a result of the fire, Farrar said. A cleaning and restoration services company was on the site on Wednesday afternoon.
Many residents, like Farrar, are staying with friends until they can get back in, while others went to hotels.
A section of McKenzie Avenue was closed to traffic as firefighters battled the blaze, leading to extensive congestion on the McKenzie and Quadra corridors.
B.C. Hydro shut off power to the building and several suites were damaged, the fire department said.
