SHORTLY before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 7, Vancouver Fire and Rescue (VFRS) responded to a call in the 3400-block of East 3rd Avenue and found that one person had died as a result of the fire.

This was the sixth fire-related loss of life in 2018 and, while the investigation is still underway, multiple fatalities to date have been directly linked to a lack of working smoke alarms. VFRS will be providing information about the steps residents can take to ensure they are prepared for a fire in their home.