Fire in the Downtown

By 250 News

Firefighters douse flames inside a business at 255 Quebec Street     

One fire fighter had to be taken to hospital in ambulance for what appeared to be smoke inhalation as crews from several halls continue to battle a blaze burning in a two-storey building at the corner of Quebec Street and 2nd Avenue.

Fire fighters received the call just before seven this evening and, although  investigators have yet to say where the fire started, it appeared to those on the scene that once the basement door was opened, there was a great deal of smoke.

The fireman, at right, had been in the basement and required medical assistance once outside.  He was given an oxygen mask and shortly thereafter taken to hospital via ambulance.

The photo at right shows the smoke billowing from a door down to the basement. 

Crews worked to ventilate the area with a fan at that basement entrance and another at a door to one of the mainstreet businesses.

The building is home to the ReBirth Tattoo shop, Montage Jewellery, Gifts and Beads, and Flamingo Hair Care at street level and the Unicorn Healing Shop upstairs.

As this picture shows, the smoke did give way to flames in the front window of ReBirth Tattoo, prompting crews to smash through the glass with the fire hose.

Fire fighters went through the window for a short time to douse the fire, but came back out a few minutes later and began cutting a hole through the building’s exterior to further get at flames in the walls.

Shawn Patterson, owner of the Tattoo shop stood and watched in disbelief as his business literally went up in smoke.

 "This is  such a heart breaker" said Patterson (in photo below). "There is such a stigma about tattoo shops, it took me a year and a half just to find someone to rent to me.  I’ve only had it open for less than a year. I just can’t believe this ."

He got the call from the security company advising him there was a problem at the shop.

Patterson says the owner of the building had stopped in to see him earlier in the evening.  "He  came in and charged up his cell phone, told me he was going to dinner and would see me the next time he was in town."

The owner of the building is Shaun Mills. He moved to Vancouver a few years ago, but returns to Prince George often because of family and business ties here.  Members of Mills’ family were on-scene as well, but they did not want to comment or provide their names.  They would only say that Mills was supposed to be on a plane back to Vancouver, but they had come down to make sure that he was not in the building.

There was at least one apartment on the upper floor of the building. There have been no reports of injuries.

Also called down to her business was Marisa Morgan, owner of Flamingo Hair Care.  She arrived on Quebec Street just after eight this evening to give fire fighters the keys to the front door of her business.

Morgan has operated her hair salon at the corner of Quebec and 2nd Avenue for the past 15-years. 

She was in shock as she arrived and was alarmed by all the smoke that was pouring out of her business.  She stood watching helplessly on the sidewalk with other bystanders.

Fire investigators have yet to pinpoint the cause of the fire, or to attach a damage estimate.

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