An early morning blaze has completely destroyed two sheds in a fire that occurred just outside the Home Hardware Building Centre in Port Alberni.
The Port Alberni fire department is currently investigating the incident, which took place around 2:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 4th.
Firefighters arrived on scene to find the sheds fully engulfed in flames. Fortunately, they managed to contain and extinguish the fire before it posed a threat to the main building.
PAFD, @ccvfd5920 , @BeaverCreekVFD & @slvfd_ca are on the scene of a structure fire on Johnston Road near Cherry Creek Road. #structurefire pic.twitter.com/9vypHUAF4U
— Port Alberni Fire (@portalbernifire) November 4, 2023
The response to the fire was a coordinated effort by multiple fire crews from various nearby areas, including Port Alberni, Cherry Creek, Sproat Lake, and Beaver Creek. Their quick action prevented the blaze from spreading to the hardware store and potentially causing even more significant damage.
At this time, the cause of the fire remains unknown, but the store’s owner reportedly believes it may have been an act of arson.
“Last night someone started a fire in one of our storage sheds which lead to both sheds burning,” read a post on Facebook page.
“We would like to give a big thank you to all the fire departments and firefighters for containing this fire.”
The Home Hardware Building Centre is a well-known establishment in Port Alberni, serving the community for many years.
The store hours have not been impacted by the fire and remains open for business.
