An early riser with a pair of binoculars helped raise the alarm when a fire broke out at an inner harbour hotel.
Observing from across the bay, a person spotted the fire at the James Bay branch of Best Western in the early morning of Friday (Jan. 24), said a a social media post by Victoria Fire.
Initially the fire was thought to be at ground level in a park, but when firefighters arrived on the scene, they identified flames on the northwest corner of the penthouse patio on the eighth floor at the hotel located on Quebec Street.
Additional support was then requested at the scene.
"Since the building’s fire alarm had not yet been activated, firefighters manually pulled the alarm to evacuate guests," the department's post reads.
When firefighters reached the fire, the flames had grown to five-feet in height, spreading into the eaves and exterior walls. The crew quickly suppressed the fire with an effective attack, containing it before it could spread further, said the department.
"This morning’s response demonstrated excellent teamwork and preparation," they said. "Thanks to the early riser who spotted the fire and to the Best Western staff for their 24/7 presence, knowledge of the building and access to the correct keys. Great work by the crew, who carried upwards of 100 pounds of equipment to perform their duties efficiently. This incident could have ended much worse without these efforts."
