One person remains unaccounted for and a search of the scene is now underway after a major fire this past weekend destroyed the Fraser Lake Inn, the Everyday Grocery Store, the Cannabis Hut, and a vacant restaurant. A number of nearby businesses at the Fraser Lake Shopping Center were also damaged by water and smoke.
Staff with the Village of Fraser Lake confirmed fire crews and first responders were dispatched to the scene at around 3:00am on Sunday morning, February 22nd. They were assisted by crews from Vanderhoof, Fort Fraser, Fort St James and Burns Lake. They remained on-scene until around 7:00am, after which the entire area was held for observation while a fire investigation got underway.
What caused the blaze is not yet known, but it prompted the Village to issue an urgent request for residents to reduce their water usage to support firefighting efforts, as the town’s reservoir was under serious strain. Fraser Lake Mayor Sarrah Storey confirmed yesterday it dropped as low as 12% of total capacity.
Water restrictions remained in place on Monday, but in an update just before 9:00pm, the Village confirmed water levels were rising, and said it was hopeful that restrictions could be lifted on Tuesday. They remain in place as of this publication.
Mayor Storey offered words of support for those affected by the fire via social media, and had herself initiated a fundraiser via GoFundMe to support the local volunteer fire department.
Residents of Fraser Lake have been told to continue avoiding the shopping centre area for now, as the site remains hazardous.
In the time since the fire, RCMP have confirmed that officers were told upon arrival on Sunday morning that someone had gone back inside the burning Inn. According to police, RCMP officers had initially attempted to search the building but were pushed back by heavy smoke.
BC RCMP Staff Sergeant Kris Clark says a search of the scene is now underway, but substantial heat and toxic gases from the burned debris have made the site unsafe at this time. RCMP add they’ve found nothing during their investigation to suggest it was a criminal occurrence. They also say they suspect the person unaccounted for had died in the fire.
We’ll have more details on the situation in Fraser Lake as they are released by the authorities.
