A burning candle is being blamed for a fire that occurred early Thursday morning at a commercial building at Cedar Park Place in Abbotsford.
Fire crews were called to the scene – at the corner of South Fraser Way and Clearbrook Road – at about 2:15 a.m. They found minor smoke and fire damage, which had been controlled by a sprinkler system and prevented the blaze from spreading throughout the plaza.
Fire prevention officer Larry Hooge said the fire began in a storage room that had been converted into sleeping quarters. The occupant of the room had left a burning candle unattended and it ignited some clothing.
Heat from the fire then activated the sprinkler system and fire alarm. Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service (AFRS) officials later confirmed that the building had not been approved for any type of residential occupancy.
Hooge said AFRS has now attended 24 fires to date in December, and most were preventable.