Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue have been getting calls about smoke and possible fires in two old homes along Lougheed Highway, but so far, there have been no fire outbreaks, said fire chief Howard Exner, Friday.
Exner said the department has received fewer than half a dozen calls since the new year when the rancher style homes became vacant.
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“Like all houses that are vacant, it’s a challenge to keep people out of those houses,” he said.
Exner said that homeless people moved into the homes when they still had heat, light and water, though those services have now been cut off.
However, the people inside have been using the fireplace, which have been the reason the fire department was called.
“There have not been any fires,” he said. The department is also working with the property owner to secure the buildings, which are slated for demolition, Exner added.
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