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New Westminster heritage house fire deemed suspicious

An 1885 house in the Brow of the Hill neighbourhood was hit by a suspicious fire Tuesday night. A neighbour called 911 after noticing the fire at the home at 214 Ash St. about 10:30 p.m. on July 12.

An 1885 house in the Brow of the Hill neighbourhood was hit by a suspicious fire Tuesday night.

A neighbour called 911 after noticing the fire at the home at 214 Ash St. about 10:30 p.m. on July 12.

"It was suspicious," said John Hatch, the fire department's division chief of public safety and fire prevention. "We request police for a suspicious fire. We secured the scene."

New Westminster police and fire investigators are now investigating the cause of the fire, which occurred in a home that's currently for sale. Neighbours have reported seeing squatters at the residence.

"It is an unoccupied home. It had been previously used as a rooming house," Hatch said. "It was a non-conforming rooming house."

Neighbours told The Record that they had contacted the city about squatters at the residence at various times, as recently as this past week.

Julie Schueck, the city's heritage planner, said the house was originally part of the John Hendry House that was located at 733 Queens Ave. It was built in 1885 and designed by well-known architect George Grant.

The house, which was relocated to Ash Street in May 1912, saw an addition added in 1957.

"I used to admire this house," said neighbour Raven Blackwell. "I liked how it looked, how it was painted. It's beautiful. I used to walk by all the time and admire it."

Hatch said the city ordered the home to be evacuated.

A fire investigation is underway, but fire officials said a preliminary inspection indicates the fire started near the porch and spread to the second floor, interior walls and roofline. Most of the damage was contained to the front of the house, but there is extensive smoke damage throughout the home.

"The fire crews did an excellent job in keeping the fire to the limited damage that there was," Hatch said.

Many area residents watched as fire crews extinguished the fire.

"I notice the smell of smoke beforehand," said a man who lives nearby and saw the fire from his balcony. "You could definitely see flames shooting up. They put it out pretty fast."

tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com