Fire broke out above one of White Rock’s oldest restaurants on Marine Drive Wednesday night, displacing 26 residents and causing extensive damage.
Fire crews were called to the scene at Cosmos Greek Restaurant, in the 14800-block of Marine Drive, just before11 p.m.
Deputy fire Chief Ed Wolfe said the blaze was “to the roof” of the three-storey building when crews arrived moments later.
Wolfe said it wasn’t a difficult fire, but said at first sight, he thought there would be casualties.
“I expected it to be worse,” he said. “When I first arrived, there was several residents that were unaccounted for.”
Ultimately, just one resident was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. The rest were bused to the community centre, then housed at the Pacific Inn. Firefighters remained on the scene until 7 a.m.
The fire damage means residents on the building’s southwest side “will be out for a significant period of time,”Wolfe said.
Cosmos, which suffered extensive water damage, will reopen “as soon as we can,” said owner Georgia Theodosakis.
A number of neighbouring businesses – including Whitby's Books & Gifts – were also behind yellow fire-scene tape, however, the extent of any damage is unclear.
Theodosakis said she and her husband Demetre – who have owned the restaurant for 44 years – were just closing up for the night when the fire alarm went off.
“We looked outside and we saw haze, we thought it was a car accident. We never realized we were inside a blazing fire,” she said. “The fire was spreading through the second and third floor. (Demetre) grabbed me, he said, ‘the gas is going to explode.’ We ran out the back door.”
Top-floor resident Monica Contois said she was visiting a friend who lives across the hall from her when the alarm sounded.
“The next thing you know, the building was in a frenzy, everybody was running out.”
Contois, 55, said she doesn’t remember leaving the building, but described watching the fire once she was out.
“Flames, smoke, windows blowing out, black billowing smoke,” she said.
She expressed concern for residents who did not have insurance – “I’m one of the only ones (who does).”
A GoFundMe page has been created to help those affected by the fire.
Shelina Jamani, owner of Clancy's Tea Cosy, said she set up the page Thursday morning after learning of the blaze.
"I just wanted to get something started," she said, noting details of how the funds would be distributed have yet to be figured out.
"It could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. I just thought, let's see what we can do," she said.
Wolfe commended the fire crews for quickly containing the blaze.
“They launched an aggressive offensive attack from the exterior, which essentially stopped the fire in its tracks,”he said.
It’s believed the fire started on a patio of one of the apartments, however, as of Peace Arch News press deadlineThursday, investigation into exactly where and how it started was ongoing. At least one resident told PAN she saw candles burning unattended on the patio of the unit where the fire appears to have started prior to the fire.
The blaze is not believed suspicious.
Theodosakis described the fire as “so sad,” but said she and her husband are determined to come back “bigger,better and stronger.”
“We will survive, we always have been survivors.”
YouTube video by Tim ShieldsContributed photo (above)Aaron Hinks photo (below)
White Rock fire Chief Phil Lemire inspects the fire damage Thursday morning.