A fire at a James Bay apartment building is forcing all the residents from their homes on Tuesday evening.
Victoria fire crews were called to 443 Superior Street after multiple reports of smoke in the area.
Battalion Chief Wayne Moody says the fire originated in one suite on the third floor and could have been worse.
“Fire fighters performed awesome, they were there fast and knocked it down quickly, it could have been much worse, the time of day was in our favour, not a lot of wind.”
The flames meant damage to at least five suites but Moody says the property manager decided to not allow anybody back into the building and restoration crews are working on the building.
“That’s not our decision, that’s the property manager’s call,” said Moody.
The property manager booked 43 suites for the displaced tenants on Tuesday night said.
Fire officials were vague about the cause of the fire, saying it was human error, but not deemed to be suspicious at this point.
Three people were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation, including one police officer.
The damage is estimated at $500,000, the building itself has just over 70 suites.