Officers have ruled that the Squamish Mills building fire downtown on Sunday was not suspicious.
The fire occurred on the morning of Nov. 6 at 1555 Pemberton Ave., where the Squamish Mills logging company is headquartered. The facility was built in 1973.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Angela Kermer told The Squamish Chief that officers have closed their file on this incident, citing a lack of suspicious or criminal activity.
On Nov. 8, deputy fire chief Shaun Swerdfeger said in a written statement to The Squamish Chief that authorities are investigating, but have yet to determine what caused the old wooden structure to go up in flames.
Swerdfeger said the large structure fire required the District to deploy almost all of its firefighting resources to knock down the blaze.
The District previously reported that about 35 firefighters were fighting the fire with seven fire vehicles.
"The fire growth was a factor, along with the overall fire involvement within the structure," he said.
"However, we were also mindful of the possibility of secondary calls, and, therefore, tactics were incorporated to ensure we remained response-ready, and able to respond to any other emergencies within the community as required."
He said that CN Rail was required to shut down so crews could use a secondary water supply on Pemberton Avenue. The crossing was closed for about three hours.
In addition, at one point almost 2,000 BC Hydro customers lost power that day. However, the nearby Squamish Station shopping centre and parking lot nearby were not impacted.
Swerdfeger added that authorities are relieved there were no reported injuries involving either the public or firefighters.
He also praised fire crews for their work.
"Their dedication to their training and level of public service had a direct result on our ability to protect the surrounding high-value properties. I am extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication from all Squamish Fire Rescue members," Swerdfeger said.
The building's history
Eric Andersen, known for forestry education and advocating to preserve local history, told The Squamish Chief that the fire at the Squamish Mills building impacts many people and businesses.
"Squamish Mills Ltd. was started in 1951 by Pat Brennan and John Drenka — and thus is the second oldest continuously active locally-owned company in the corridor, after John Hunter Co.," said Andersen, who is also a sitting District councillor.
"Inside the building were numerous photos of amateur sport teams and community events and acknowledgements of the company's generous sponsorship over the years.
The Squamish Mills building was built in about 1973, according to Andersen.
"The Howe Sound Timber building next door — a genuine heritage building for the community, due to its materials, quality and associations — has not been affected by the fire," said Andersen.
**Please note that this story has been updated to better reflect the number of people without power due to the fire.
