A section of Quadra Street in Saanich will be closed for hours after a massive fire destroyed a condo project that was nearing completion.
The overnight fire, which broke out just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, November 20th, at a construction site has completely destroyed a six-storey, 77-unit condominium building in the 3900 block of Quadra Street at Lodge Avenue, leaving the area in disarray and prompting evacuations.
Fueled by high winds, the fire quickly spread with embers reaching as far as Saanich Road.
Saanich Fire Department responded with a team of 22 firefighters and received mutual aid from the Victoria Fire Department to help control the incident.
“Confronted with an extremely challenging situation under difficult conditions, our firefighters, along with those from the Victoria Fire Department, performed admirably to contain the fire and prevent further damage to adjacent buildings,” said Saanich Fire Chief Michael Kaye.
“We want to assure residents that we are taking every measure to ensure a swift recovery effort. We are incredibly grateful for the cooperation and resilience shown by all the residents and involved agencies as we navigate this challenging situation together.”
Firefighters were able to quickly manage several spot fires, including one on the balcony of a building across the street.
As a precautionary measure, homes, apartments, and condominium buildings in the affected area were evacuated, with support provided by BC Transit buses to shelter residents temporarily.
Due to the out of control flames and heavy smoke, an emergency reception centre set up at Saanich Commonwealth Place sheltered 15 people overnight, who returned home this morning.
Known as Cadence and developed by local firm Abstract, the nearly sold-out building was set for completion in 2025. The blaze, which could be seen from kilometres away, is being described as one of the largest fires the region has ever witnessed.
The fire broke out amidst a significant windstorm sweeping through the area, which may have contributed to its rapid spread. Thankfully, there have been no reported injuries.
The Saanich Fire Department confirmed that a section of Quadra Street at Lodge Avenue remains closed and will be for several hours as crews work to secure the scene.
The area remains closed as crews continue working on the fire. Saanich Police expect Quadra Street, between Union Road and Falmouth Road, to stay closed for much of the day and are asking people to avoid the area.
Saanich crews are currently on-site cleaning up debris and ensuring that waterways are protected by limiting run-off into storm drains.
Quadra Street will remain closed Wednesday for public safety and to support BC Hydro’s work on power lines and poles. The closure may extend into Thursday.
BC Hydro is working to restore power, but outages are expected to continue due to the complexities of construction scaffolding on power lines and fire damage.
The District is coordinating with emergency services to expedite recovery and minimize disruption for residents.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
More to come.
