A thick haze still hung on the 600-block of Pandora Avenue Tuesday afternoon as fire crews continued to douse water on the old Plaza Hotel.

Equipment was brought in to clear rubble from the building site and crews were seen wearing masks to protect themselves from the smoke and chemicals.

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Pandora Avenue between Douglas Street and Government Street reopened to pedestrians and traffic on Tuesday. Passers-by could be seen covering their mouths and noses with sweaters, scarves and whatever else they had in hand, though the best step people could take as the flames continue is to avoid the area.

B次元官网网址淭hat smoke is toxic so if you donB次元官网网址檛 have to breathe it in, I donB次元官网网址檛 know why you would,B次元官网网址� said Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce.

So far, investigators have not been able to access the remnants of the heritage building to determine if asbestos is present or not.

Fire crews continue to douse the Plaza Hotel with water as demolition has begun. The 600-block of Pandora is open to traffic again but thereB次元官网网址檚 a thick haze of smoke on the road. Pedestrians are walking by with their mouths and noses covered.

B次元官网网址� Shalu Mehta (@ShaluMehta32)

Bruce said that TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 concentrated efforts are to put the fire out completely so that engineers can assess the safety of the area.

B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檙e very conscious of today is just trying to move timbers around as gently as possible so we can preserve the scene as much as we can, but still get the fire suppressed,B次元官网网址� Bruce said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a matter of safety first; whether the building was built today or 100 years ago, we donB次元官网网址檛 want walls being compromised and falling on our members or falling anywhere.B次元官网网址�

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Once engineers have cleared the site, the fire departmentB次元官网网址檚 investigation can begin.

Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce said todayB次元官网网址檚 priority is to extinguish the fire at 603 Pandora Ave. Possible excavation may be required, but efforts will be made to keep site as in tact as possible for investigation purposes

B次元官网网址� Nicole Crescenzi (@NicoleCrescenzi)

At this point the idea of arson has not been ruled out, though there are some red flags in the situation including the speed at which flames could spread, and the uncertainty of whether a sprinkler system and fire alarm were activated.

The building had been subject to two recent fire inspections on March 21 and April 26, and was scheduled for a follow-up on May 8 to address any outstanding issues, which included burnt out exit signs.

In these inspections, Bruce was able to confirm that the sprinkler system was in place and working, and that a fire alarm had been tested. Bruce could not confirm if the alarm belonged to a third-party company or if it was simply an audible system.

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It is unclear if the alarm system went off, but if it did it did not alert the Victoria Fire Department of the fire. Rather, the department responded to a neighbouring buildingB次元官网网址檚 alarm.

When asked if these facts raised the suspicions of arson, Bruce was uncertain.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 be reluctant to say what weB次元官网网址檙e investigating because weB次元官网网址檝e havenB次元官网网址檛 had an opportunity to investigate the property,B次元官网网址� he said, B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l look at anything that could be determined as a factor.B次元官网网址�

While many buildings have alarms which directly alert a fire department, others will have a third-party company alert emergency services, and others will simply make noise.

Bruce noted that this last system is particularly effective if thereB次元官网网址檚 someone stationed at the building. The Plaza Hotel was supposed to have a live-in caretaker, Mike Draeger, who is still unaccounted for. The Victoria Police Department is now searching for any clues to his whereabouts.

As of yet a cause to the fire has not been determined. There are no major injuries reported, though firefighters have reported minor injuries related to smoke.

Government Street will remain closed between Johnson and Pandora until engineers have determined that the site is safe.

vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca