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Firefighters are still battling hot spots at what’s left of the old Travellers Inn hotel just north of downtown. With all that smoke yesterday, you may have smelled our first story.
But our top story—and you’ll have to hit this link to read it on our website—is about the BC election.
To quote hockey’s late, great Bob Cole: “Oh, baby!”
If you haven’t yet heard, I’ll give you a hint: What happens when politicians get greedy for power? You got it. They get the boot.
— Mark
Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes
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NEWS
40 people displaced after massive fire consumes former hotel in north end of city
Fire broke out at the old Travellers Inn in the early hours of Saturday morning. Photo: Reddit
Firefighters continue to work on a major fire that tore through the former Travellers Inn on Queens near Blanshard yesterday, amid unsubstantiated reports that not everybody got out.
“There are unconfirmed reports that there may have been additional people in the building,” the city said in a release late yesterday.
“The Victoria Fire Department and Victoria Police are working diligently to make sure all individuals are accounted for.”
Nine registered occupants were forced from the derelict former hotel—which still had a few rooms for rent—and 31 residents living in an adjacent building at 723 Field were displaced because of water damage, the city confirmed.
There have been no reports of injuries to the public or firefighters.
The call to Victoria Fire came in at 3:50am yesterday and immediately drew additional crews from the Saanich, Esquimalt, and Oak Bay fire departments as VicPD closed a large swath of streets in the vicinity.
“Crews arrived to find balconies on fire on the first and third floors on the front side of the building,” City of Victoria spokesperson Colleen Mycroft said.
The massive fire pulsed orange-red plumes metres into the air and belched a blanket of grey-black smoke above the city that could be smelled for kilometres. The blaze burned so intensely that firefighters had to abandon their strategy of battling it from the inside.
Portions of the building have collapsed, and firefighters have shifted to heavy machinery used for a controlled demolition, the city said.
Victoria Fire Chief Dan Atkinson told the Times Colonist it could take several days to complete the controlled demolition of the building and to put out spots still burning.
760 Queens Ave. history
• Was a Travellers Inn until 2010
• Was sold to a private landlord who operated it as a budget hotel/rental complex, 2010-2016
• A deliberately set fire displaced 57 people in 2016
• Was recently partially reopened, offering a handful of short-term accommodations
Firefighters still had a consuming blaze on their hands 10 hours into the battle. Photo: Mark Brennae / Capital Daily
⚠ Capital Bulletin
Traffic disruptions for Wicked Victoria today: Sections of Government, Broughton, and Langley will be closed 8am-6pm. [Details]
Trans-Canada Highway: 1 northbound lane closed between the Island Highway overpass and Six Mile Road overpass tomorrow through Oct. 31, to repair a water main.
Thetis Lake Regional Park: Multi-use trail between Six Mile & Highland roads is closed tomorrow through Oct. 31.
Broughton closed between Blanshard and Quadra for one month starting tomorrow. Monday to Friday, 7am-5pm.
Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.
On the water today? Check the tide times for Victoria.
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