No one was seriously injured, but the damage is extensive after fire swept through one of the buildings at the Park Rise condo complex at 689 Park Road in Gibsons.
The fire broke out about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Gibsons fire chief Rob Michael said 39 firefighters were on scene, including a mutual aid crew from Roberts Creek.
“When we got there we had several units on the second floor fully involved,” Michael said.
Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control within a couple of hours, but eight units in the 48-unit strata were damaged, leaving several residents out of their homes.
Michael said the firefighting effort was focused on preventing the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings.
“Where we ran into some challenges was attacking the fire inside the attack space. [The building] had a metal roof. The interior was difficult to penetrate,” he said.
Michael said two firefighters suffered minor injuries. He also said they kept a crew on scene overnight to watch for hot spots.
The cause remains under investigation, although Sunshine Coast RCMP said it was not suspicious and an accident involving a barbecue is suspected.
