Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service was kept busy March 6 and 7, handling four separate fire calls. Just past 1 a.m. March 7, firefighters responded to a blaze at the rear of a three-storey building, which has commercial units on the ground floor and residential suites above, on the 3400 block of Commercial Drive. The business affected was a bookstore, which suffered extensive smoke and water damage to its contents. The fire investigator has determined the fire was deliberately set and the Vancouver Police Arson Squad is continuing with the investigation. Three other fires were directly related to smoking materials or the improper discarding of cigarettes. Shortly after 7 p.m. March 6, firefighters were called to a fire on the balcony of the 19th floor at 1060 Alberni St. The quick response by a building resident using an ABC extinguisher helped to minimize the damage. At 10: 25 p.m. firefighters attended a fire in a 16th-floor suite at 5959 Student Blvd. at UBC. Again, the quick response by a tenant using a fire extinguisher helped fire crews control the fire. At 2: 50 a.m., March 7, firefighters dealt with a fire in a second floor suite at 1818 West Sixth Ave. The suite and building suffered substantial smoke and water damage. There are no injuries to report.
