Firefighters from the Victoria Fire Department battled the blaze from 603 Pandora Ave. on May 6, 2019 (File submitted/Marco Crescenzi) Crews battle a large building fire in downtown Victoria the morning of May 6. (Nicole Crescenzi/News Staff) Wendy Hedley and her husband are visiting from Winnipeg and were staying next door only to be evacuated around 5:15 a.m. Monday. (Nicole Crescenzi/News Staff) Crews battle a large building fire in downtown Victoria the morning of May 6. (Kendra Crighton/News Staff) Firefighters from the Victoria Fire Department battled the blaze from 603 Pandora Ave. on May 6, 2019 (File submitted/Marco Crescenzi) (Nicole Crescenzi/News Staff) Wendy Hedley was visiting from Winnipeg and staying at a nearby building through Air BNB when she was evacuated. (Nicole Crescenzi/ News Staff) Firefighters from the Victoria Fire Department battled the blaze from 603 Pandora Ave. on May 6, 2019 (File submitted/Marco Crescenzi) Fire crews battled the downtown Victoria fire at the Plaza Hotel on Monday May 6 (Nicole Crescenzi/News Staff) Firefighters from the Victoria Fire Department battled the blaze from 603 Pandora Ave. on May 6, 2019 (File submitted/Marco Crescenzi) Smoke pooled in the air and ashes fell from the sky Monday morning after a fire engulfed the Plaza Hotel at 603 Pandora Ave. Thirty-four firefighters from the Victoria Fire Department arrived on scene beginning shortly after 4:30 a.m. when alarms went off at the neighbouring building. READ MORE: Vigorous fire engulfs rear section of Victoria gas station Next door buildings between Johnson Street and Pandora Avenue were evacuated after the call came in, leaving many occupants without anywhere to stay. Part of the building just collapsed on the north facing side, more flames burst forward #yyj @VictoriaNews pic.twitter.com/i2aUWctFPe — Nicole Crescenzi (@NicoleCrescenzi) May 6, 2019 Laura Carr was visiting from the Seattle area, and was evacuated from a short term rental in the building adjacent to the one burning. She initially thought it was a false alarm and had a concern over grabbing the room key. “We did grab our passports we did throw some shoes on,” Carr said. “But not everyone did.” Carr says by the time they were down the stairs from their third-floor condo, the smoke was noticeable. “By the time we got out front … we were watching smoke coming out the top level. I’ve heard since it might have been fully engulfed by the time we were evacuating.” She’s confident firefighters ensured everyone was evacuated from the building. By 11:30 a.m., the fire was under control and contained to the one property. Victoria Fire Department Deputy Chief Dan Atkinson said that there was no known cause to the fire, but that no one had been inside and no injuries were sustained. One man, a caretaker, is yet to be located but the fire department said so far there’s been no indication of a person being in the building. READ MORE: Grass fire near Langford school under investigation The 600-block of Pandora is closed to traffic, as is the 1400 block of Government Street. Fire Chief Paul Bruce said the area will be blocked off well into tonight, and may still be blocked off until tomorrow. Bus routes will continue to be redirected. Now, the Victoria Fire Department needs to take the next steps to determine the safest response to the fire, which will eventually include a coordinated collapse of the building’s remnants. READ MORE: One woman confirmed dead following Esquimalt fire The City of Victoria issued an advisory on social media that air quality is poor due to the structure fire, and advised residents and visitors to stay a safe distance away. City Hall was closed due to this. Bruce said that all fires offer the possibility of toxic chemicals in the air, and that so far the department has not ruled out the presence of asbestos in the building. – with files from Kendra Crighton, Matteus O’Connor, Nicole Crescenzi<doc-sep>A man is missing after a vacant downtown Victoria hotel was devastated by fire Monday morning. Mike Draeger, a caretaker at the former Plaza Hotel building, was still missing in the aftermath of the fire Monday evening. Victoria police are asking anyone who has seen Draeger to contact police immediately to ensure his well-being. Firefighters were called to the Plaza Hotel on Government Street just before 5:30 a.m. and arrived to a fully involved fire. Officials said alarms at neighbouring properties went off, but not inside the vacant hotel. Heavy dark smoke could been seen billowing from windows of the hotel, the former home of Monty's Exotic Showroom Pub. The streets around the hotel were closed to traffic by emergency officials but large crowds of onlookers had gathered to watch the blaze. Rescue crews performed a full sweep of the building and didn't believe anyone was inside at the time. Victoria fire Chief Paul Bruce later said the caretaker, who is known to stay in the abandoned building was unaccounted for, but could not speculate on whether he was inside the building when the fire broke out. Owners of the property confirmed they had not heard from Draeger and were en route to Victoria. "We're concerned for the property manager and any other people who're part of the neighbouring bulidings and part of the community," said Nick Askew of Ocean Gate Developments, which owns the building. A maintenance worker at the Royal Victoria Suites, an eight-unit hotel adjacent to the Plaza building, said he came to the scene at 6 a.m. to check on guests and to search for Draeger. "Nobody's seen Mike yet," said James Middleton. "That's why I came down." Draeger lives in the back of the Plaza building, he said. Middleton last saw him yesterday. "I'm worried about him... I'm not sure that he's made it out," he said. "If he's not among these people watching then I don’t know where he would be." Asked whether asbestos was inside the historic building, Bruce said there was "no active record to determine whether asbestos is or isn't there." Bruce said it's too soon to say whether the fire is considered suspicious, but signs point to it being helped along somehow. "I'd hate to speculate on what the cause was but the fact is it was quite a significant fire to evolve that quickly, certainly leads us to think that there could've been some assistance," he said. Investigators haven't pinpointed where the blaze was sparked, but said crews first discovered flames in the basement of the building with heavy smoke conditions on all floors. At one point, part of the building collapsed as flames shot through the roof. At 10:30 a.m., deputy fire Chief Dan Atkinson said there were no reports of anyone suffering injuries and that the blaze was mostly contained. "As it stands right now we've got the building sort of where we want it," he said. "This has been a successful operation as far as I'm concerned... All the buildings to the south have been saved, and it looks like there's going to be no fire damage there." The department deployed three aerial trucks, a rescue truck and a battalion, as well as three command officers. At its peak, 34 firefighters were actively battling the blaze. "A fire of this scope is going to continue to burn for a long period of time," said Atkinson. "We're putting out hot spots, making sure it doesn't spread." He said given the amount of damage the building sustained, fire investigators wouldn't be able to get inside to continue their investigation. The Royal Victoria Suites was evacuated by the fire department after alarms went off. Every guest in the eight occupied suites was accounted for, though some just left with passports and clothes. Tieca, an American tourist at the hotel who asked CTV News not to publish her last name, wasn't lucky enough to grab her purse or passport. She said her family awoke to a hotel fire alarm at approximately 5:10 a.m. "We grabbed the fire extinguisher real quick because there was one outside the door and just kind of followed the hallways. Unfortunately that's the only way out is through the stairwells to the bottom floor," she said. "I just grabbed one bag that was by the door and that was it – just hauled out." "The alarm went off around five o'clock or so, so we scuttled out of the building as quick as possible," said another guest. Part of building collapsed moments ago. Flames through roof are still large. Crews say fire contained to the 1 building. No one reported hurt @CTVNewsVI pic.twitter.com/HoUi7ywl7u — Robert Buffam (@CTVNewsRob) May 6, 2019 The Plaza Hotel has been largely vacant for years. The City of Victoria warned residents that air quality downtown was poor and advised people to stay away from the area. City Hall was shut down for the day due to the poor air quality and numerous roads would remain closed in the downtown core, officials said. Centennial Square was closed to the public just after 3 p.m. due to concerns with the ongoing smoke. The Canadian Coast Guard deployed containment booms around the base of the Johnson Street Bridge to contain any runoff from the Plaza Hotel fire. There was no indication of how much water from the fire was prevented from entering the harbour, or what toxins, if any, it contained. Smoke could be seen well outside the downtown core and as far away as Port Angeles, Wash. Smoke plume visible over Victoria BC from Port Angeles. @CTVNewsVI says Plaza Hotel in downtown is burning: https://t.co/LnTfAwWbK4 pic.twitter.com/JhazcS1Aiy — Scott Sistek (@ScottSKOMO) May 6, 2019 'My dreams are going up in smoke' Heidi Sherwood, owner the Sattva Spa inside the Royal Victoria Suites building, watched with fading optimism Monday morning as the flames encroached upon her business.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Fire crews extinguished a massive blaze in downtown Victoria on Monday. Large plumes of smoke were seen billowing out of a building believed to be the old Plaza Hotel, which once housed the strip club known as Monty’s. The fire broke out just after 5 a.m., but quickly grew to consume the entire building. One wall of the structure partially collapsed. There have no reports of injuries so far, however the building’s caretaker remains unaccounted for. 1/3 Victoria Fire crews have successfully extinguished all major hot spots. Fire no longer a threat to neighbouring structures. Crews remain onseen overnight to monitor & ensure no active fire #yyjfire #yyjtraffic pic.twitter.com/4pue6FInte — City of Victoria (@CityOfVictoria) May 7, 2019 Dozens of firefighters were in the area of Government and Johnson streets, and the entire block was been shut down as crews worked to contain the blaze. The City of Victoria said crews would remain on scene overnight to monitor for hot spots and monitor the site. Story continues below advertisement It said Pandora Avenue west of Douglas Street and Government Street between Johnson and Fisgard Streets would remain closed until further notice. Officials closed Victoria City Hall due to poor air quality and road closures around the fire, and said the structure would remain closed on Tuesday. BC Transit also announced several bus detours. Due to poor air quality & lack of access as roads are closed due to the fire at the Plaza Hotel (Government & Pandora) Victoria City Hall is CLOSED for the day. Please continue to avoid the area & stay tuned for updates #yyj #yyjtraffic pic.twitter.com/ge2Sj69wt0 — City of Victoria (@CityOfVictoria) May 6, 2019 Due to Government and Pandora being closed on May 6, 2019, the following routes are on detour until further notice: 10, 14, 15, 24, 25. For more information and updates please visit https://t.co/Xb0vFzFnuM #yyjtraffic #yyj — BC Transit (@BCTransit) May 6, 2019 Police and fire investigators will both probe the cause of the fire, though officials say it is still too early to say if it is suspicious. Firefighters are hoping to plan a controlled collapse once conditions allow.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Fire at former Victoria strip club under control, caretaker not yet located Fire at former Victoria strip club under control, caretaker not yet located Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce says although the fire is under control, firefighters continue to battle active areas. Photo by Times Colonist Article content The worst of a raging fire that gutted the former Monty’s strip club and Plaza Hotel in downtown Victoria is under control, but police and fire officials have yet to locate a caretaker who stayed on and off in the now gutted building. Firefighters continue to pump out a steady blast of water — up to 4,000 gallons a minute at peak periods — on all sides of the more than 100-year-old heritage building at 603 Pandora Ave. They’ve been fighting the blaze since the first fire alarm sounded in the adjacent Royal Victoria Suites vacation rental at 1413 Government St. at about 5:20 a.m., sending tourists out into the streets in their socks and pyjamas. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Fire at former Victoria strip club under control, caretaker not yet located Back to video Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce says although the fire is under control, firefighters continue to battle active areas. He doesn’t expect Government Street at Pandora Avenue to reopen today, and perhaps not tonight. Although the fire department said there were no injuries, firefighters and police are continuing to try to track down a man called Mike, a caretaker who stayed at and worked at the building off and on, said Bruce. Attempts to contact him today have thus far been unsuccessful. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The fire chief said his department has called Mike’s contact number and police are actively looking for him. There was a suspicious fire in an exterior stairwell of the pub and hotel two weeks ago. At that point, the Victoria Fire department asked to review the building’s fire system. That meeting with the owner was planned for May 8. Deputy Fire Chief Dan Atkinson said all the buildings to the south were saved. “It looks like there will be no fire damage there, [except] smoke and water damage.” The former strip club closed in January 2013 and the derelict hotel was bought by West Vancouver-based Ocean Gate Developments in August 2016. Firefighters expect to be on the scene for several more hours. “A fire of this scope is going to continue to burn for a long period of time, so right now we’re just putting out hot spots and making sure the fire doesn’t spread to any adjacent properties,” Atkinson said. No alarms came from within the former pub and hotel, Atkinson said. He does not know whether there was a functioning smoke and fire alarm system in the building. At its peak, about 34 Victoria firefighters, three aerial trucks, three engine trucks and three command officers were fighting the blaze, which was first detected in the building’s basement and sent heavy smoke through the next four storeys. Neighbouring fire departments were on standby. Atkinson said numerous renovations to the building over the years, which changed the floor plan, made it too dangerous to fight the fire from inside. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content As well, the basement was filled with debris, said Atkinson, including numerous tables and mattresses and other stored materials, which fuelled the blaze. The building is a writeoff — interior walls have collapsed, the roof is gone, and parts of the exterior wall and facade on the north end have crumbled. The building is likely too unsound to enter even for an inspection, Atkinson said. Senior city directors are at the fire hall talking about potential impacts on city services. Atkinson said he is not aware if any services or businesses have had water or smoke damage. The air is acrid with toxic smoke downtown around city hall. Some onlookers are wearing masks, as more people continue to travel downtown to see the fire and the remnants of the building. Just past 8:30 a.m., the brick siding on the Pandora Avenue side of the four-storey hotel came crashing down as the heat on the street from the flames intensified. A crowd of onlookers gasped as flames shot out from new areas of the roof and the building began to crumble. The stone wall fronting the nightclub had also broken open, exposing more flames. Photo by Times Colonist Firefighters moved their trucks away from where the building was crumbling. As of 10 a.m. flames were still visible on the ground floor and the roof. The basement, where the fire began, has a footprint that spreads beneath the club and hotel and outward underneath the sidewalks on Pandora and Government streets. An American family staying at the neighbouring Royal Victoria Suites vacation rental was outside in their socks until a Good Samaritan showed up with shoes for them to borrow. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Victoria resident Terry Bell read on the Times Colonist website that the family had scrambled from their vacation rental wearing only socks, and brought old pairs of shoes for the family. Wendy Hedley, from Winnipeg, was watching the fire as it continued to send plumes of smoke into the air, wrapped in a blanket from the fire department and wearing shoes given to her by a stranger. Here to visit her daughter and grandchild, she was staying in an Airbnb on Johnson Street when a fire alarm rang out just after 5 a.m. Frank and Gail Wilms of Comox, in Victoria for their wedding anniversary, were evacuated from their vacation rental beside the burning building. “It’s awful,” said Gail. “It looks like it’s getting worse. There’s more and more smoke and flame.” Chris Ruggles could see the smoke from his home near Uptown shopping centre.<doc-sep>
One man is unaccounted for after a fire at a shuttered hotel in downtown Victoria. Firefighters have been blasting the old Victoria Plaza Hotel on Pandora Avenue at Government Street with water since they arrived at the building just after 5:30 a.m. Part of one wall collapsed around 10 a.m. and the building's stability is still uncertain. Victoria fire Chief Paul Bruce, speaking to reporters early Monday afternoon, said the building's caretaker, Mike Draeger, has not been found. There were no indications he was in the building at the time, Bruce added, but he was known to sometimes stay in the building. Police would like to hear from anyone who might know Draeger's whereabouts. The fire downtown is still burning. People in the neighbouring building woke up to fire alarms and smoke at 4 am today. pic.twitter.com/4iIDODLzzd —@lizziepetra "We have no idea and I'd hate to speculate on anything like that," Bruce said when asked about the caretaker. "I would assume that they're actively looking to track him down right now." Roads are closed, nearby buildings have been evacuated, and city hall has shut down for the rest of the day as well. Bruce said the fire is still active. Smoke seen for great distance A tower of smoke billowing from the four-storey building blanketed the downtown core throughout the day and created created a cloud visible from as far as Port Angeles, Wash., across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A commanding firefighter said it's one of the largest fires he's seen in the city in recent memory. "It's been a few years," said deputy fire Chief Dan Atkinson, asked about the last time the city saw a fire so large. "This is a significant fire, for sure." The fire department said more than two dozen firefighters were on scene battling the flames on Monday. (Megan Thomas/CBC) At its peak, 34 firefighters were on scene trying to get the fire under control from the street and ladders well above the roof. Atkinson said some nearby businesses have smoke and water damage, but flames haven't spread. "We've got the building where we want it. All the buildings to the south have been saved," the deputy chief said. No injuries have been reported, but the City of Victoria asked locals to stay away, if possible, due to poor air quality. The Coast Guard has also laid booms in the harbour to stem runoff from firefighters' hoses flowing into the ocean. More than two dozen firefighters were on scene working to control the fire on Pandora Avenue. (Michael McArthur/CBC) Atkinson said the building is "too far gone" for crews to get inside and do a structural assessment. He believes further collapse is still a possibility. "A fire of this scope is going to continue to burn for a long period of time.... We'll be here for a few more hours at least," he said, speaking to reporters just before 11 a.m. The damage to the old Plaza Hotel is becoming more visible as the smoke dies down. Fire crews say the buildings to the south have been saved except for some fire and water damage. #yyj pic.twitter.com/OIhCAMwvZt —@meganTcbc Fire 'could be' suspicious When asked if the fire was being treated as suspicious, Bruce hinted that was at least being considered. "It could be," he said. "I hate to speculate on what the cause was, but you know, the fact is it was quite a significant fire to evolve that quickly. [It] certainly leads us to think that, you know, there could have been some assistance." It's a smoky morning downtown as firefighters work to extinguish a fire in the former Plaza Hotel building pic.twitter.com/gXuLfCnaEF —@lizziepetra Atkinson said flames were first spotted in the building's basement. People staying in vacation rentals next door told CBC News they were woken by fire alarms around 4 a.m. "It's pretty crazy to see," said Brendan Hessels, who was in Victoria on a work trip from the city of Duncan on Monday morning. "It's kind of a sight to see downtown, so close to everything, such big flames and all the force from the Victoria Fire Department ... You don't see that often," he said, holding his phone up to stream the fire to friends and family on Facebook. "It's a very old building. A lot of history burning down in Victoria right now."