By Bronwyn Scott
Published: July 15, 2013
The Howe Sound Brewing Company had a fire scare this morning (June 15) when a staff member called 9-11 after detecting smoke inside the building.
Although there was no fire, smoke from an electrical problem was a cause for concern, fire fighters said.
Staff and guests were inside the building but everyone was safely evacuated.
“The staff did an excellent job of getting all the guests out of the building,” said Russ Inouye, chief of the Squamish Fire Rescue Service.
Neighbours were standing out in the street to get a glimpse of the action. Bystanders had heard reports of smoke coming from the building but had not seen any.
Although the fire crew was unable to detect the exact location of the electrical problem, Inouye said he believed the problem was in or around the staff room.
The general manager of the building is going to bring in an electrical contractor to test all the circuits.
“We’ve turned all their circuits off and for the time being,” said Inouye.
Parts of Vancouver Street were closed to traffic and Cleveland Avenue was blocked off at Main Street.
At about 8 a.m., firefighters removed the traffic barricades and unhooked fire hoses from the hydrants.
