UPDATE: Explosions heard as evening fire destroys mechanic shop in Hope

A fire broke out in a commercial building in Hope Wednesday evening.

Crews from the District of Hope Fire Department and the Yale and District Volunteer Fire Department responded to the blaze at a two-storey wooden building in the 1000-block of 5th Avenue at 7:40 p.m. on Feb. 2.

When they arrived, the structure was fully engulfed in flames.

“The building was a mechanic’s shop and our crews faced numerous hazards from downed hydro wires and hazardous materials including petroleum products and compressed gases,” said fire chief Tom DeSorcy.

One witness who commented on a post in the Hope BC Bulletin Board Facebook group said they heard “loud bangs, like something exploding.”

Approximately 19 members were on scene until shortly after 2 a.m.

A worker on site, who discovered the fire, was able to escape and there were no injuries reported, DeSorcy added.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and it is under investigation by the fire department, however, it is not considered suspicious.