A popular Tofino restaurant was destroyed early Thursday by a fire that appears to have started in the kitchen area.
A statement from Shelter restaurant in the oceanside community of about 2,500 said the cause of the fire is not yet known, but no one was in the building at the time and the fire did not spread. “For all of that we are relieved and grateful.”
It said Shelter is not just a business but “a close-knit family.”
The company thanked the Tofino Volunteer Fire Department for its efforts in battling the blaze, as well as the community for its support. “For 20 years, we’ve taken pride in being a pillar of the Tofino community and we are so heartened by the outpouring of support from our friends, patrons and neighbours.”
Deputy Fire Chief Emily Coombs said the fire was reported just after 1 a.m., and took a few hours to get under control. Ucluelet Fire Rescue also responded to the blaze.
“Unfortunately it was rather extensive damage to the building, but we were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the neighbouring business and the homes nearby.”
The building is unsalvageable, she said.
Coombs, who has been with the fire department for about 10 years, said it’s one of the biggest fires she has ever seen in Tofino.
She described Shelter as “a cornerstone business” in Tofino that employs a lot of residents.
“It’s kind of ‘the old reliable’ that’s always there for us during the wintertime when a lot of businesses are closed,” Coombs said. “So it’s a huge loss for the whole community.”
Tofino Mayor Dan Law said the first person at the scene was a Tofino RCMP officer, who was able to ensure the building was empty.
Law said seeing Shelter destroyed is a “tremendous shock” to everyone in the area.
“Besides being a great restaurant, it was a community hub, it was where people gathered for anything from business meetings to weddings,” he said. “We all know people who work at Shelter.”
He said he has spoken to several employees and reached out to the owner.
Law said the support the community is showing for Shelter and its staff is typical for Tofino
“When something of this magnitude happens in Tofino, the community steps up in amazing ways,” he said. “I know people have been calling me asking what they can do, how can they help.”
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
