Vancouver firefighters battled the stubborn blaze around East 10th Avenue near Prince Edward Street into early Friday morning.
Crews say the fire in the three storey building started on the top floor. Three people and one dog were rescued from the balconies facing the alley.
As of 11:30 p.m., the fire was contained and has not spread to nearby buildings, but due to a partial collapse of the roof, crews had a tricky time accessing the hot spots.
One firefighter was treated on scene for mild smoke inhalation but was quickly back to fighting the same fire that sidelined him for a time, according to crews on scene.
The building is an older, wooden building with around 80 units but did have working sprinklers.
The fire created a tremendous amount of smoke with crews urging people nearby to shut their doors and windows.
Firefighters calling this a third alarm fire, with around 45 personnel attending the scene.
No word yet on how many people were displaced by the fire and crews say it’s too early to determine a cause.
Crews say they will be there all night.
More to come.
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