Emergency responders were dispatched to a potential explosion at a Coquitlam, B.C., strip mall early on Sunday, December 29, 2024. Police and fire services arrived at the location on 341 North Road around 6:30 a.m. and encountered dense black smoke escaping from one of the units. Assistant Chief Sandro Bonifazi reported evidence of an explosion, with glass debris scattered across the parking lot.
Emily Oh, proprietor of Emily Oh Realty located in the strip mall, was alerted by her landlord and rushed to the scene. “I was shocked and relieved no one was present,” Oh remarked, expressing concern about potential damage to office equipment and documents due to the building’s sprinkler system. Besides the realty office, the mall hosts a coffee shop, a Vietnamese restaurant, an optometry clinic, and a hair salon. Investigations into the incident are ongoing as crews work to determine the fire’s cause.
