WATCH: On Monday evening, crews were still putting out a fire at the Victoria Plaza Hotel. Tess van Straaten has the details. 

One man is unaccounted for after a disastrous fire engulfed the Plaza Hotel in Victoria on Monday.

The fire collapsed the roof of the smaller building, which used to be a restaurant and is attached to the larger building of the hotel. The southwest facing wall also collapsed.

The Plaza Hotel has been vacant for several years. However, there was a caretaker who periodically stayed in the building. Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce said firefighters are not able to enter the building to confirm whether or not he was there. They are working with VicPD to try to determine his whereabouts. There was a trailer parked out back and a van on the street but Bruce said there were no reports of anyone in those vehicles.

Victoria police said they are still looking to speak to Mike Draeger, who is the caretaker of the Plaza Hotel. Anyone who knows how to contact him is asked to call VicPD at 250-995-7654.

The airstream trialer that belongs to Victoria Plaza Hotel caretaker Mike Draeger’s just been towed out from behind the burnt-out building by @vicpdcanada Draeger remains unaccounted for. Anyone who knows how to contact him is asked to call VicPD immediately. More @CHEK_News #yyj pic.twitter.com/hEi9hGZozQ

— Tess van Straaten (@tessvanstraaten) May 7, 2019

As of Monday evening, some smoke can still be seen around the Capital Region and heavier smoke was billowing earlier into the sky. The smoke could also be seen from Port Angeles, Wash.

Incredible vantage point of the fire. We’re on a roof patio. Crews battling inferno at vacant Victoria Plaza Hotel at Pandora & Government from all angles. Building is just a shell. More ⁦@CHEK_News⁩ #fire #yyj #hotelfire ⁦@VictoriaFire730⁩ ⁦@CityOfVictoria⁩ pic.twitter.com/gAnowM8Pov

— Tess van Straaten (@tessvanstraaten) May 6, 2019

Fire officials say the fire was discovered in the basement of the former Plaza Hotel building at 603-Pandora Avenue at around 5:15 a.m. Crews responded after 911 calls came in along with an alarm from a neighbouring building. Victoria Deputy Fire Chief Dan Atkinson said the fire has been contained to the hotel and there were no reports of anyone in the building at the time.

Fire crews on ladder trucks and on the ground are still working to fully extinguish all the hot spots Thirty-four firefighters were working on the blaze at one point.

“Once our members entered the building, they made it up to the third floor when it was noticed that the full basement was fully involved with fire and therefore we brought our members immediately and started looking at a defensive attack, an exterior attack to the building,” Bruce said. He added he believes there was combustible storage in the basement.

The neighbouring building, the Royal Victoria suites, was evacuated and everyone was accounted for, Bruce said. Other businesses in the immediate area have been asked to close their windows and shut off their HVAC systems.

Doesn't look like it's getting better from Esquimalt! pic.twitter.com/tOsjJQG8mS

— Lianne Lynch (@ArtUnwound) May 6, 2019

The 600-block of Pandora and the 1400-block of Government Street is closed to traffic. Some BC Transit routes are also detouring. Bruce said they are working with the owner of the building to determine when the streets can reopen.

“Government between Johnson and Pandora will probably remain closed for most of today if not for sometime in the near future,” Bruce said.

Due to Government and Pandora being closed on May 6, 2019, the following routes are on detour until further notice: 10, 14, 15, 24, 25. For more information and updates please visit https://t.co/Xb0vFzFnuM #yyjtraffic #yyj

— BC Transit (@BCTransit) May 6, 2019

Incredible vantage point of the fire. We’re on a roof patio. Crews battling inferno at vacant Victoria Plaza Hotel at Pandora & Government from all angles. Building is just a shell. More ⁦@CHEK_News⁩ #fire #yyj #hotelfire ⁦@VictoriaFire730⁩ ⁦@CityOfVictoria⁩ pic.twitter.com/gAnowM8Pov

— Tess van Straaten (@tessvanstraaten) May 6, 2019

The City of Victoria said air quality in the downtown area is poor at this time due to the fire and people are asked to keep a safe distance away from the Plaza Hotel. Victoria City Hall is closed for the day due to the poor air quality and lack of access as roads are closed due to the fire. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps has thanked fire crews for their hard work.

Thanks to our fire crew! RT @tessvanstraaten: Dozens of firefighters continue to battle huge blaze at former Victoria Plaza Hotel at Pandora & Government. Billowing black smoke fills the air. More ⁦@CHEK_News⁩ #fire #yyj #hotelfire ⁦@VictoriaFire730⁩ ⁦pic.twitter.com/8vO46zxObG

— Lisa Helps – Victoria Mayor (@lisahelps) May 6, 2019

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“The heat was taking the smoke and the particulate quite high. Anyone who would have been in the immediate area would have been susceptible to the smoke,” Bruce said.

According to Bruce, there are no active records of asbestos in the building.

The Canadian Coast Guard is also deploying a precautionary boom around affected outfalls.

Coast guard has booms set up in #yyj Inner Harbour at specific outfalls as a precaution for water discharge from downtown fire. @CHEK_News pic.twitter.com/mOkUbD5jma

— Mary Griffin (@Mary_Griffin_) May 6, 2019

It could be several days before the Victoria Fire Department is able to determine a cause. Bruce said while there was a suspicious fire at the Plaza Hotel in the exterior stairwell two weeks ago, it’s too early to determine if Monday’s fire is suspicious.

The Plaza Hotel, which has been permanently closed since 2013, once housed Monty’s Showroom Pub and the Cabin 12 restaurant. The complex had recently been eyed for development.

WATCH: Firefighters use ladder trucks to battle the blaze at the Plaza Hotel

WATCH: Firefighters use ladder trucks to battle the blaze at the Plaza Hotel

WATCH: The Plaza Hotel fire as seen from the Esquimalt Lagoon 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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