Investigators were at the scene of a suspicious fire Saturday, trying to determine what caused a 鈥渉uge鈥� three-alarm blaze that destroyed a Burnaby pub hours before.
Emergency crews received the call around 2:30 a.m. Saturday about the fire at the Marine Pub, at 5820 Marine Dr. in Burnaby.
鈥淭he fire was through the roof upon our arrival,鈥� said Burnaby assistant fire chief Rick Weir, who estimated that at the fire鈥檚 peak, flames were shooting between 60 and 80 feet into the air.
鈥淚t was huge. It was fully involved. There鈥檚 absolutely nothing left, other than the three exterior walls.鈥�
The fire, which appears to have started outside the back of the building, is considered 鈥渟uspicious,鈥� Weir said.
Weir declined to explain why the blaze was considered suspicious, but said Saturday: 鈥淎ll I can say is it鈥檚 suspicious. RCMP and the Burnaby Fire Department are doing an investigation as we speak.鈥�
The property鈥檚 owner was co-operating with investigators, Weir said, and had shared evidence from security cameras on the premises.
鈥淭hey had security cameras set up and they had notification that there was somebody on the premises prior to the fire,鈥� Weir said.
The pub, which had served the community for almost two decades, was a 鈥渢otal loss,鈥� Weir said.
No injuries were sustained by either firefighters or the public.
