UPDATE: Surrey firefighters continue to work to put out 'stubborn' fire

Surrey Fire Service is still working to put out a fire at an apartment build in Fleetwood that started late Friday night (May 14).

Mark Griffioen, deputy chief with SFS, said crews were called out to the scene near 84th Avenue and 160th Street just before midnight, and the call “quickly turned into a third-alarm fire.”

Griffioen said the four-storey building has 56 units.

Asked how many people have been displaced, he said, “none of those people will be coming back today, that’s for sure.”

Griffioen said the department is supporting the residents through the emergency support services program, which provides various short-term needs for evacuees in an emergency situation.

Crews have not yet been able to assess the damage, Griffioen said, as they’re “still trying to put that stubborn fire on the roof out.”

They’ve “not made significant progress for the last several hours,” he told the Now-Leader around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday (May 15),” adding it’s difficult to get water onto the fire that is safe for the firefighters.

We can smell the smoke from this #SurreyBC fire in our area this morning, got on my chest and having some breathing issues.

I hope everyone affected is ok.

Via @laurenpcollins1 @SurreyNowLeader https://t.co/X0RZO9UhfK

— Steven D Rowe (@stevendrowe) May 15, 2021