Loss of beloved Value Village to fire in East Vancouver neighborhood

Locals said they will miss the thrift store that had been a neighborhood fixture for decades. Firefighters said the cause of the fire is unknown, but they cannot yet rule out arson.

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The cleanup and investigation to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a Value Village thrift store on East Hastings Street has been called off because the basement was flooded with water used to put out the flames, the fire department said Friday.

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The cause of the fire is unknown, but “everything is a possibility,” said Brian Bertuzzi, deputy chief of operations for Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services.

“It could be accidental, it could be arson. Nothing is off the table.”

Bertuzzi said crews will come in this week and pump out the water and then bring in heavy machinery to tear down the walls.

“They (investigators) can’t get in because of the unsafe conditions and the total flooding of the basement,” he said. “Right now, we’re just waiting for some stability.”

Vancouver firefighters battled a stubborn fire Wednesday night that destroyed the Value Village department store on E. Hastings Street in Vancouver.  By Thursday morning, June 30, 2022, they were still pouring water into the hot spots.
Vancouver firefighters battled a stubborn fire Wednesday night that destroyed the Value Village department store on E. Hastings Street in Vancouver. By Thursday morning, June 30, 2022, they were still pouring water into the hot spots. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

The fire started just after 10 p.m. Wednesday and smoke could be seen and smelled for miles. Bertuzzi said more than 50 firefighters battled the blaze and about 12 fire trucks attended the three-alarm blaze.

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No one was killed or injured in the fire.

All that remained of the building in the 1800 block of East Hastings Street on Friday were the exterior cinder block walls, including the one facing east. It was almost completely intact and you could still see “Value Village” painted in big red letters across the top.

The front facade was gone and some supporting steel beams remained. The floor was littered with charred planks of wood, twisted metal, parts of metal shelving, and the building’s huge air conditioning unit stacked more than a meter high.

Deb Beaudreau and Rich Talmey, who live nearby and arrived at the site Wednesday night, returned Friday to see the ruins. They said they will miss the store, which has been a part of the East Vancouver neighborhood for decades.

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“We like to go to costume events and we used to come here to put things on, and it was a great place to come for a last-minute tablecloth or something,” Beaudreau said.

“Just six days ago, I bought two pairs of shorts for $10.”

He said his favorite find was a faux lynx fur coat he bought in 2009 for $30 and still wears.

“We are offering employee support services for those who wish to participate, and are seeking short-term and long-term employment opportunities for affected team members at other Value Village stores,” company spokeswoman Sara Gaugl said in an email. an email.

Vancouver firefighters battled a stubborn fire Wednesday night that destroyed the Value Village department store on E. Hastings Street in Vancouver.  By Thursday morning, June 30, 2022, they were still pouring water into the hot spots.
Vancouver firefighters battled a stubborn fire Wednesday night that destroyed the Value Village department store on E. Hastings Street in Vancouver. By Thursday morning, June 30, 2022, they were still pouring water into the hot spots. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

He also said Value Village is cooperating with firefighters in their investigation, but said it was too early to say whether the store will be rebuilt.

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Value Village, which started in 1954 in San Francisco, is a thrift store business that pays nonprofit organizations that donate items to the store, but none of the proceeds from store sales go to charity. .

The site was fenced off over the weekend. Out back, a small black hatchback was still in a parking spot behind the shop, some charred planks resting on the hood. A cardboard box filled with clothing was inside the blue temporary fence near the back lane.

The vinyl siding on the multi-family unit that shared a back lane with the store appeared to be melted and warped in one area. Some residences were temporarily evacuated Wednesday.

Bertuzzi visited the place on Friday morning. “It looks like (firefighters) did an amazing job of containing it” and there is no damage to adjacent buildings, he said.

To the east is a used car lot and dozens of cars for sale remained covered in soot.

To the west, the Indonesian church of Bethany appeared to be unaffected by the fire. But half a dozen building restoration trucks were parked outside and workers inside were cleaning chairs and the floor.

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