The head of Vancouver’s fire department is calling on the city to do more to move tents away from buildings in the Downtown Eastside after a propane tank explosion and fire on Sunday that destroyed several tents in an encampment and spread to the entranceway of a nearby building before it was contained.
Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Chief Karen Fry said her crews have responded to 370 outdoor fires on East Hastings Street over the last eight months. Four people have already been injured this year, she said.
In July, Fry issued an order to clear the tent city. The tents have been reduced, but