Nanaimo firefighters extinguished a fire Monday afternoon at the lower level of The Bastion, a landmark in the city.
Fire crews were called to the fire at around 12:26 p.m.
According to Nanaimo Fire Rescue, the fire was lit at the back door of the lower level of The Bastion, which is located on Front Street. It caused some damage to the wall, as well as smoke damage throughout the building.
Nanaimo RCMP also responded to the fire.
A fire truck at the scene of a fire at The Bastion on July 13, 2020.
Assistant Chief Jodi Le Masurier said there was gunpowder in the building.
“Luckily because it [the fire] was knocked down quickly, that wasn’t impacted but could have been dangerous,” she said.
A suspicious fire has sent @NanaimoFire racing to the back entrance of iconic #Nanaimo Bastion this afternoon @CHEK_News Fire has now been extinguished. pic.twitter.com/hWKjmn3EGF
— Skye Ryan (@SkyeRyanCHEK) July 13, 2020
According to the Nanaimo Museum, the Bastion was built in 1853 by the Hudson’s Bay Company. It is the last remaining wooden Hudson’s Bay Company bastion in North America. It is also Nanaimo’s oldest structure and recognized as heritage site.
The Bastion typically allows visitors but it closed for the summer due to COVID-19.
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