The New Westminster Fire Department is investigating a fire that gutted the top floor of a West End house and burned up a third of its roof Monday afternoon.
Crews were called to the house at 519 Holland St. at about 3:20 p.m. by the home’s occupants after they smelled smoke, according to deputy fire Chief John Hatch.
Neighbours told the Record they called it in too after they saw smoke and fire coming from the roof.
“The fire was in a wall and up into the attic,” Hatch said. “When we got on scene, the fire had already burned through the roof.”
Four people made it out of the house safely, according to Hatch, and firefighters got the blaze under control in about 20 minutes with no damage to any surrounding buildings.
All three of New Westminster’s fire halls responded, and 19 firefighters were on scene.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to Hatch, but an investigation is under way.
He estimated the house sustained about $150,000 worth of damage.
The incident shut down a section of Sixth Avenue between 13th and 14th streets Monday afternoon, and transit buses were forced to maneuver through a few of the narrower side streets to get around the closure.
