Early morning fire rips through Burnaby Scouts building

BurnabyScouts are waiting to assess their losses after an early morning fire tore through the Carriage House, a heritage buildingused to store theorganization'soutdoor equipment.

Flames were seen shooting through theroof of the Deer Lake Avenue building at around 5 a.m.Friday morning and crews spent more thantwo hours getting the fire under control.

Gordon Tilley, BurnabyScouts quartermaster, said he hopes the most expensive items like large shelters and canoes survived.

"If [the equipment]gets wet it's not a problem, we just dry it out," he said. "So it's just a matter of whether or not it has sustained any other damage, like fire damage."

Tilleyestimatedthe value of the Scouts' equipment to be around $500,000.

Acting assistant fire chief Barry Mawhinney saidthe building is alsoused by the Burnaby parks department to store things like lawn mowers, gasoline andfertilizer.

"Police had heard explosions before we got here," said Mawhinney. "We set up an aerial ladder and cut some holes in the roof for ventilation and made good progress in saving the building."

The fire was originally called in by a BurnabyRCMPpolice officer.

According to the Heritage Burnabywebsite, the Carriage House is an Arts and Crafts style two-storey wood framed structure built around 1911 as a garage and stable. Itwasoriginally part of the H.T. Ceperly Fairacresestate.

Tilleytold CBC News the Carriage House was extensively upgraded about six years ago and had no issues with fires or squatters in the past.

He said the Scouts primarily use the facility in the evenings to check out and return equipment.

With files from GP Mendoza