Twelve people were checked over by a BC Ambulance crew and two were taken to hospital to be treated for for smoke inhalation following a two-alarm fire at a fourplex in Whalley on Tuesday evening.
"We have an emergency service plan taking care of some displaced people," Assistant Chief Mike McNamara said.
A woman was arrested.
"She's been detained in relation to the fire," Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton, of the Surrey Police Service said. "She's been arrested, she's a suspect. There hasn't been any charges yet so we won't be naming her.
"She'd be a suspect in an arson."
Houghton said an SPS officer on patrol spotted the fire.
"Surrey Fire Service was called and while a neighbour tried to extinguish the flames with a garden hose, SPS officers quickly evacuated several residents from adjacent residences," he said. "As officers were searching the properties for additional residents who might be in danger and speaking with witnesses, a woman was detained and arrested as a suspect in connection with the fire. She is currently receiving medical care and the investigation is continuing."
Twenty-four firefighters helped put out the fire. "Crews arrived, had some flames and smoke on arrival but managed to get a quick knock-down," McNamara said.
No firefighters were injured, and Surrey Fire Service had an investigator on scene on Wednesday morning.
The fire happened in the 10900 block of 132A Street around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday (May 6).
"It's a good opportunity to remind people to have working smoke alarms," McNamara added. Asked if there were working alarms in this case, he replied, "I don't believe that it did. I don't think there's any working smoke alarms in place."
