Fire displaces about 100 residents from Mission retirement home

About 100 residents of a Mission retirement residence were displaced after a large fire broke out at the building Monday evening, according to the City of Mission.

Emergency crews from the Mission Fire and Rescue Service, Mission RCMP and BC Emergency Health Services responded to Chartwell Carrington House shortly before 6 p.m. on March 9 after a fire started inside the retirement residence on 7th Avenue. First responders entered the building and helped elderly residents evacuate as flames spread.

Residents were initially brought outside to the street, with some temporarily sheltered at a nearby church. The City of Mission and Emergency Support Services later arranged temporary accommodation at the Mission Leisure Centre. Transit buses from the Coast Mountain Bus Company transported residents to the facility, where paramedics assessed anyone needing medical attention.

According to the city, one resident was later found alive in a stairwell of the building and was treated for smoke inhalation. No serious injuries or fatalities were reported.

Fire crews remained at the scene Tuesday working to extinguish hot spots and investigate the cause of the fire. Officials said there is currently no indication the fire is suspicious.

All evacuees who were taken to the Mission Leisure Centre have since been picked up by family members or relocated to nearby Chartwell residences and local hotels, the city said.