Prince Rupert Fire Rescue respond to Belmont Hotel fire Sunday evening

See update from PRFD at bottom of this article

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It has been a full response this Sunday evening in the Prince Rupert  downtown core with multiple units of the Prince Rupert Fire/Rescue Department on the scene of a large fire at the iconic Belmont Hotel which also housed Rose's Oriental Foods and Gifts.

The call for service came in during the early evening hours, with RCMP members and BC Ambulance personnel also on hand, there to provide assistance to the fire crews who were attacking the fire from a number of directions.

BC Hydro and Pacific Northern Gas officials were also on hand as part of the response to the scene.

The fire was at its most fierce and brightest prior to the 9PM hour as the crews set up hoses and gained some elevation on the blaze through the use of their aerial assets.

The city's RCMP members quickly set up a perimeter along the 600 to 800 blocks of Third Avenue West and surrounding streets to keep the growing number of onlookers at a distance.

The volume of those arriving in the downtown area to view the fire had both cars and pedestrians trying to navigate side streets that were being used to connect fire hoses to those fighting the fire, with many of the side streets in the immediate area closed to traffic

Fire Fighters were still working at 11PM to douse the flames that occasionally would shoot through the roof of the structure and the job ahead would appear to be one that will require further time to fully knock down.

The downtown hotel has been a fixture in the community for decades, changing its appearance, service options and clientele frequently through the years. 

Most recently it has only been in service as a private Beer and Liquor outlet.

Social media both through Facebook and Twitter quickly filled with numerous accounts and visuals of the fire from a number of directions and a large volume of contributors.

We will update any further details on the situation should they be made available by PRFD.

Update: Early Monday morning, the PRFD provided some notes  and photos on the Sunday evening fire to their Facebook page, noting of the shift from an offensive to defensive fire fighting strategy, with the fire extinguished by 2AM. Heavy equipment was brought in, so as to create a fire break at the structure.

Fire crews remain on scene to monitor for hot spots, An investigation is now underway into the incident.

We have a day after the fire update available here.

For more notes on the work of Emergency Responders in the Northwest see our archive page here.