Victoria Fire Department crews were still working at the former Travellers Inn on Queens Avenue on Sunday morning after a fire broke out early Saturday.
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Fire crews in Victoria were continuing their response to a blaze at the former Travellers Inn, located at 760 Queens Ave., after the fire was reported in the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to Victoria Fire Department (VFD) crews were called to the scene around 4 a.m., when flames were reported on the balconies from the first to the third floors on the front side of the building.
VFD said portions of the building have collapsed and heavy machinery is being used for a controlled demolition. Fire crews remained on scene as the response continued into Sunday morning.
Victoria Fire Chief Dan Atkinson said crews faced rapidly changing conditions on arrival. He added that crews withdrew before clearing the entire building and shifted to a defensive posture to help prevent the fire from spreading.
VFD said nine residents of the property had been accounted for, and there were no injuries to firefighters. The department also said there may have been additional people in the building who were not officially registered, and both VFD and the Victoria Police were working to ensure everyone was found.
Firefighters from Sannich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay joined the response.
During the day, multiple streets were blocked off as the fire response and cleanup continued, with some streets beginning to reopen around 3:30 p.m.
As a precaution, residents at nearby 723 Field St. were evacuated, and displaced residents were receiving support from the City of Victoria’s Emergency Support Services.
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