British Columbia

Man dies in East Vancouver house fire

Firefighters discovered the 70-year-old dead in an upstair bedroom on New Year's Eve.

The fire broke out in an upstairs bedroom at the home on Ormidale Street

A brown East Vancouver house with a green ceiling is pictured.
Investigators are not considering the fire to be suspicious. (Martin Diotte/CBC)

A 70-year-old man died in a house fire that broke out on New Year's Eve in East Vancouver.

Matthew Trudeau, public information officer with the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, said crews were called to the home in the 5500 block of Ormidale Street just before 9 p.m. on Saturday.

Trudeau said the man's spouse heard a loud noise which investigators believe was a window breaking from the heat. The spouse ran upstairs to the bedroom, saw smoke and flames and called 911.

Firefighters found the man dead.

Trudeau said it appears smoke detectors in the house were not functioning. In addition to the fire, the house sustained significant water and smoke damage.

A window on the upper floor of a home is smashed.
Investigators say an upstairs window broke from the heat. (Martin Diotte/CBC)

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire but Trudeau said it is not considered suspicious.

with files from Canadian Press