Victoria crews battle collapse at former Travellers Inn

Part of the former Travellers Inn building on Queens Ave. in Victoria collapsed as firefighters fought a fire there Saturday, the City of Victoria said.

In a statement, the city said fire crews were met with “extremely challenging conditions.” Heavy machinery was used in a “controlled demolition” of the fire-damaged structure.

Victoria Fire Chief Dan Atkinson said the fire spread rapidly and crews took a “defensive posture” after clearing the building. He thanked the other agencies that helped, including the Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay fire departments, Victoria Police, paramedics and crews from FortisBC and BC Hydro, calling the blaze a “complex incident.”

The city said no firefighters were injured and the building’s occupants have been accounted for. It added, however, that there have been unconfirmed reports of other people in the building.

Residents of the building and others from a nearby building were evacuated and are getting help from the city’s emergency support services. Crews are expected to remain at the scene through the night and into Sunday.

The city has not said what caused the fire. This is a developing story and will be updated when officials release more information.

This report is based on a statement from the City of Victoria as reported by The Canadian Press.

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