Witnesses heard fireworks near scene of suspicious fire, police say

Vancouver police are appealing for any information about a suspicious fire that caused extensive damage to a South Vancouver apartment building Tuesday morningand sent one person to hospital with serious injuries.

Police were called around 3 a.m. PT to help Vancouver Fire Rescue Services evacuatea three-storey building at Southwest Marine Drive and Heather Street, where most of the residents were still asleep, according to a statement emailed Wednesday.

Officers believe the fire started outside the building. Witnesses reported hearing fireworks and seeing a group of people walking away from the building at the time of the fire.

"This fire likely started on the outside of the building, possibly in some shrubs, or trees, or greenery, and spread to the structure itself," said Sgt. Steve Addison in a phone interview.

"It's safe to say that whoever was responsible for it likely didn't intend for such catastrophic damage tooccur, so that's why we're really appealing to anybody who has information about what happened," said Addison.

Addison said the fire caused extensive damage to the building, resultingin a number of people being displacedand a 33-year-old manbeing taken tohospital with serious injuries.A second person was injured and taken to hospital.

Several other residents in the 19-suite building had to be rescued from the flames and smoke.

As of Wednesday, none of the residents have been allowed to return home.

Anyone with information is asked to call VPD's Major Crime Section at 604-717-2541.