Fatal fire damages Abbotsford, B.C. apartment building

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The BC Coroners Service confirms one person has died in an apartment fire in Abbotsford.

Coroners service spokesman Andy Watson says a woman in her 60s died in the blaze that broke out about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Abbotsford Police Sgt. Judy Bird says firefighters arrived to find two units of the building fully engulfed.

The fast-moving flames spread quickly and Bird says several tenants in the three-storey building were stranded on balconies and had to be rescued by ladder.

Bird says firefighters found the unidentified woman during a secondary search after the flames were under control but that she died a short time later.

Fire crews remained at the scene Thursday checking for hot spots and major crimes detectives, as well as the coroners service, were also investigating.

Bird says the blaze does not appear suspicious.

“The fire damage to third-floor units is extensive, with additional smoke and water damage to multiple units on the first and second floors,” she says in a news release.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service or police.