An early-morning fire has destroyed a commercial building beside a SkyTrain station in downtown New Westminster, B.C. Firefighters were called at 3:16 a.m. Monday arrived to find the building in the 400-block of Columbia Street full of "pressurized' smoke, and beat a partial retreat before the roof collapsed. New Westminster Fire Chief Tim Armstrong said firefighters' biggest concern was making sure the flames didn't spread to the adjacent Columbia SkyTrain station. The fire on Columbia Street took hours to get under control, with crews brought in from Coquitlam to assist. Columbia Street remains closed due to the fire and people are asked to stay clear.

Source: CBC News May 24, 2021 18:22 UTC