Great Vancouver Fire

On June 13, 1886, Vancouver was almost completely destroyed by fire. It started as two land-clearing fires to the west of the newly incorporated city. One fire was clearing land for the Canadian Pacific Railway roundhouse, and the other was preparing land for the city's westward expansion.

The township of Granville had only just been incorporated as the City of Vancouver in April of that year, becoming British Columbia's fourth city. The first city council election was held on May 3rd, and the Vancouver Volunteer Hose Company No.1 had its inaugural meeting on May 28th. Not long after, these land-clearing fires spread northeast into the city.

The fire killed at least 21 people, though the exact number is unknown. Between 600 and 1,000 buildings were destroyed. Most residents escaped by fleeing to the shores of Burrard Inlet or False Creek.

European settlement in the Vancouver area began in 1862 after coal was discovered in the Burrard Inlet. The settlement of Granville was formed in the mid-1860s between two sawmills, Moodyville and Hastings Mill, which were the main employers. These mills provided services to their workers and their families. In the early 1880s, the mills employed between 150 and 200 workers, not counting loggers and longshoremen. Many of these workers were transient, staying for only a few weeks. To reach Granville at the time, you had to travel nine miles through dense forest from New Westminster, or 30 miles via the Fraser River from Fort Langley, which was the capital of British Columbia.

In 1885, it was announced that Granville would be the Canadian Pacific Railway's west coast terminus. After the great fire, the city continued to grow. Vancouver's first police force was established, its first brick buildings were constructed, and its first fire engine was brought in from New Westminster.