Derek Schumann left the scene of last week’s Gables Townhomes fire convinced two factors prevented the blaze from doing more damage than it did: the rapid response of the Whistler Fire Rescue Service, and the neighbourhood’s collective FireSmarting efforts.
“It could have been so much worse,” said Schumann, who captured photo and video footage of last Wednesday’s fire at 4510 Blackcomb Way.
No injuries were reported, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) initially said residents in 16 units were displaced, with eight directly involved in the Sept. 25 fire. A municipal communications official later confirmed most of the units are used for short-term rentals. Five individuals are being assisted through Emergency Support Services, however, the RMOW noted there may be others who have found alternative accommodation on their own.
At press time, the cause of the fire has not been determined, although a municipal spokesperson said it does not appear suspicious.
Schumann was first alerted to the fire at about 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 25 by a neighbour who phoned asking if he was onsite after they had heard reports of smoke billowing from Building 3 of the Gables Townhomes. A Building 1 resident and strata member, Schumann rushed over and said he could tell “within 50 metres that there was a lot of smoke in the air. You could smell it.”
Not noticing any flames initially, Schumann told Pique smoke plumes could be seen rising from the edifice’s metal roof. Within 60 seconds or so, he said firefighters were on the scene, and Schumann waved them over to the northwest end of the building, where he said it seemed most of the smoke was emanating from.
Crews quickly began blasting both the front and back sides of Building 3 with hoses, “and continued to hit the building for the next six or so hours,” Schumann reported.
Thirty to 45 minutes after arriving on scene, Schumann said he saw the flames burning through the flat sections of roof that weren’t made of metal.
“Once the flames broke through the roof, the fire seemed to intensify,” he said. “There was open flame billowing out the top of the building for the next four or five hours, and then the firefighters did a good job of containing that.”
The stubborn blaze seemed to “play cat-and-mouse” with fire crews, described Schumann, who shot video of flames coming out of the entrances several hours after it ignited. “They had been hitting the whole building with thousands and thousands of gallons [of water] and they would turn the hose off to hit another section, and immediately the fire would spit back out in different areas,” he added.
By evening, crews had extinguished the fire, and personnel remained onsite overnight to watch for hotspots and flare-ups.
Fortunately, the Gables Townhomes are primarily occupied by part-time residents, and there weren’t many people onsite when the fire broke out. Firefighters, along with a fire wall, did well to minimize damage to the left side of Building 3.
“One side wasn’t subject to actual fire damage, but there was lots of water and smoke damage,” Schumann said.
The question now is whether the building requires restoration or a complete rebuild, a determination that will be made by a team comprising structural engineers, the insurance company, and an adjustor.
Schumann is thankful to fire crews for the “phenomenal job” they did containing the blaze, as well as efforts from the strata and Gables residents to remove highly flammable trees from the building’s perimeter several years ago.
“If we had a lot of coniferous trees right up next to the building, they would have gone up as well,” he said. “The efforts to FireSmart the community actually work.”
