Written by: Karissa Ketter, News Writer
On Wednesday morning, July 7, 2021, Burnaby Fire Department arrived at SFU’s Burnaby campus for a car fire in the West Mall parkade. SFU tweeted an alert at 9 a.m. asking for people to stay clear of the West Mall complex as surrounding areas were being evacuated. In a statement to The Peak, Andrea Ringrose, the senior director of campus public safety, reported that a total of three cars had caught fire in the parkade.
Ringrose said the cause of the fire is unknown. There were no serious injuries reported.
At 10 a.m., SFU released an update that the fire had been extinguished. “We are very thankful for the quick response from Campus Public Safety and Burnaby Fire Department, as well as others nearby who helped to ensure everyone’s safety,” said Ringrose.
The surrounding roads and the West Mall parkade reopened shortly after. The 9000 level of the parkade is remaining closed to allow for damage assessment and environmental and structural work.
Ringrose reported that Safety & Risk Services and Facilities Services are working with “a third party environmental service provider to assist with cleanup and remediation, to ensure this is done in an environmentally responsible manner.”
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