The village of Fraser Lake, 135 kilometres west of Prince George as the crow flies, is reeling after a weekend fire destroyed several essential businesses. 

The fire started early Sunday morning around 3 a.m. PT at the Fraser Lake Shopping Centre, the main commercial centre in the village, which was home to about 965 people as of the 2021 census. 

“It was pretty scary,” said Miloud Chokarni, who lives in the trailer court directly behind the shopping centre. He noticed smoke coming into his trailer early that morning and thought it was his stove acting up before he decided to check outside. 

“When I opened the door … I thought it was fog at first, but it was smoke and it was raining ash and chunks of plastic and I instantly started puking from the smoke,” he said. 

“I’ve grown up here, lots of memories in that place. I just couldn’t believe how quick it went.” 

Fraser Lake Fire Rescue arrived on scene at 3:18 a.m. and crews from nearby Fort Fraser, Burns Lake, Fort St. James, and Vanderhoof also assisted.

Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading, but it destroyed the Fraser Lake Inn, a cannabis store, and a vacant commercial space. It also destroyed the Everyday Grocery Store, which was one of two grocery stores in the community. 

“I was at the grocery store the evening before, and did my shopping there, and had met somebody outside and we had a chat,” said Fraser Lake resident Michelle Baker. 

“To know that I can’t go back there to do my shopping … it’s really, really heartbreaking and devastating,” she added. “The hotel holds a lot of memories for the people of Fraser Lake, even though our town is a lot quieter now with some of our economic challenges.” 

Fraser Lake Mayor Sarrah Storey said the loss of the businesses is a setback for the community that is still recovering after the closure of the West Fraser sawmill in January 2024, which put many residents out of work. 

“This town has gone through a lot,” said Storey. “We didn’t expect this on the list of things we’ve  had to deal with as a community.” 

Storey said the building was not only economically significant, but it was a social hub of the community, with its heyday in the 1980s and ’90s. 

“It had a lounge and a bar and everybody would go there after hockey games,” she said. “The historical feeling of loss is upsetting people.” 

Storey has launched a fundraising campaign to support Fraser Lake Fire Rescue, which is comprised of volunteers from the village, for its efforts fighting the blaze. 

The mayor says the cause of the fire is under investigation.