Four businesses were impacted by a fire that destroyed a commercial building in the 20500 block of Langley Bypass on Tuesday night.
"This was a substantial fire," said City fire chief Rory Thompson.
The cause of the fire isn't known yet and may not be known for sometime, said Thompson.
"We are wanting to get a structural engineer out there. We need to ensure the building is safe to enter before we bring in a fire investigator," he said.
Around 9:45 p.m., a person driving by saw flames and called it in. Langley City fire crews arrived to flames venting out the roof and windows, said Thompson. The plume of smoke shot hundreds of feet into the sky. The fire could be seen and smelled as far as Murrayville.
A total of 50 firefighters were on scene from both the City and the Township, with four engines and three ladder trucks.
Several acetylene tanks exploded inside the building. The roof also collapsed. Firefighters were battling the blaze until about 3 a.m.
The businesses inside the building included a motorbike and scooter shop, radiator business, automotive shop and tile store. At least one of the businesses said they are currently looking for a place to relocate and hope to re-open soon.