Smoking materials link in Abbotsford, B.C., blaze

Improperly discarded smoking materials likely played a part in a recent fire in an Abbotsford, B.C., apartment building that left more than 100 people homeless.

Assistant chief Ron Hull, with Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services, says the extent of the damage means an investigation hasn't pinpointed a cause of the blaze and it remains undetermined.

But Hull says the results "lean toward" smoking materials that weren't properly discarded.

No one was hurt in the Feb. 14 fire, but several cats are missing and all 57 units in the Delair Court complex are destroyed or severely damaged.

Hull hasn't said where the fire originated, but did say flames were rolling up the side of the building by the time crews arrived and swept along the roofline, pushed by high winds.

Most tenants lost everything and many did not have insurance, prompting more than two dozen online fundraisers collecting at least $25,000 for several homeless families. (CTV Vancouver)

Photo courtesy of Istock.