VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Two homes in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood have been destroyed after an early morning fire.

The three-alarm blaze at Prior Street and Gore Avenue is believed to have started in an abandoned home where squatters were living.

DEVELOPING: One home gutted. Another burning here on Prior St and Gore Ave in Vancouver. @BT_Vancouver @CityNewsVAN @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/2oTAngthC4 — Greg Harper (@GS_Harper) May 31, 2018

Vancouver Fire Captain Jonathan Gormick says firefighters couldn’t get into the house beside it due to a hoarding situation.

The home with the hoarding situation presented a huge set of hazards. Obviously, entrapment for our crews, if they go in, or entrapment for any emergency services that respond to that home — police, fire, ambulance.

A house on Prior Street near Gore Avenue is damaged by a fire on May 31, 2018. (Courtesy Twitter: @vanfirerescue)

It doesn’t look like anyone was hurt.

Gormick notes it’s very challenging and dangerous for fire crews to tackle blazes in abandoned homes, as there are a lot of unknown factors.

“We’re never sure what state of repair the house is in. Many of the passive fire protection systems are displaced, so there might not be drywall. Stairs could be removed. There might be holes in floors and ceilings.”

He’s urging you to intervene, if you know someone who is hoarding.

“Hoarding is a metal health issue and it’s unlikely that hoarders will self-identify to get help. But if you do know someone or you have a family member that’s hoarding, please contact Vancouver Coastal Health or get medical professionals involved.”

He says if you have a vacant or abandoned home, “board up all the windows and board up all the doors to a standard. That just helps deter unlawful entry.”

(Source: Twitter @vanfirerescue)

Traffic on Prior Street is blocked between Jackson and Gore, which means drivers can only access Dunsmuir and Georgia Viaducts by taking Main Street.

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