Wednesday, June 17, 2026
ADVT 
National

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

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 Feb, 2021 08:34 PM
  • 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. 

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Remember us after pandemic: minimum-wage grocery store worker worried about

Remember us after pandemic: minimum-wage grocery store worker worried about
DELTA, B.C. — Worrying about being infected with COVID-19 at the grocery store where she works has become part of the job for Kelly Ferguson, who lives with her 90-year-old mother.

Remember us after pandemic: minimum-wage grocery store worker worried about

Nova Scotia mass killing investigation monumental logistical task: ex-Mountie

Nova Scotia mass killing investigation monumental logistical task: ex-Mountie
A retired high-ranking Mountie says the investigation into one of Canada's worst mass killings will tax the resources of the Nova Scotia RCMP. Pierre-Yves Bourduas, a former deputy commissioner, says nothing in his experience compares to what took place last weekend when 23 people were killed in a rampage by a man before he was shot dead by RCMP on Sunday.

Nova Scotia mass killing investigation monumental logistical task: ex-Mountie

COVID-19 changes Islamic month of Ramadan

COVID-19 changes Islamic month of Ramadan
This week is usually when kids in the Muslim community get excited about an annual trip to see the full moon that marks the start of Ramadan, says Cindy Jadayel, a member of the Mosque of Mercy in Ottawa. But she says it'll be one of many community events that will be cancelled during Ramadan this year.

COVID-19 changes Islamic month of Ramadan

COVID-19 latest hurdle in Canada's long road to buying new fighter jets

COVID-19 latest hurdle in Canada's long road to buying new fighter jets
COVID-19 is presenting another challenge to Canada's long-running and tumultuous effort to buy new fighter jets. The federal government last summer launched a long-awaited competition to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's aging CF-18s with 88 new fighter jets at an estimated cost of $19 billion.

COVID-19 latest hurdle in Canada's long road to buying new fighter jets

Feds pledge $350M to help charities plug holes in funding

Feds pledge $350M to help charities plug holes in funding
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government plans to provide $350 million to Canada's charities sector. Charities have seen a severe drop in donations since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, with donors hurting financially themselves and the charities unable to hold fundraising events.    

Feds pledge $350M to help charities plug holes in funding

Canadians trust their family doctor more than the PM on COVID-19, says poll

Canadians trust their family doctor more than the PM on COVID-19, says poll
Canadians trust health professionals like their family doctor first and foremost when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis, a new poll suggests. The poll, conducted by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, asked respondents to rate their level of trust in various institutions, including public health officials and politicians.

Canadians trust their family doctor more than the PM on COVID-19, says poll