Massive fire destroys downtown Langley restaurant

A massive fire broke out in downtown Langley Saturday morning, destroying a restaurant and forcing several others to close.

Thankfully, no one was injured, according to the local business association.

“This morning we learned of a devastating fire in our downtown core that took out an iconic building and displaced many businesses and residents,” said Teri James with the Downtown Langley Business Association, in a statement.

“We can tell you that no one was hurt, but the building was completely destroyed and many business in the area could potentially be facing smoke and water damage.”

Firefighters respond to a blaze in the 20000 block of Fraser Highway on Saturday, Oct. 5. Firefighters from both the city and township of Langley fire departments responded to the blaze, with township firefighters warning motorists to stay away from the intersection of Fraser Highway and Glover Road.

Images from the scene show a massive plume of smoke billowing from the lowrise building, which houses restaurant Viva Mexico.

Multiple businesses in the area posted on social media that they were closed for the day and offered condolences to the staff at Viva Mexico.

Fire crews battled a massive blaze in downtown Langley Saturday morning. (CTV News)In its own social media post, the restaurant thanked customers for their support.

“We are going through a very difficult time,” the post reads. “We promise to come back stronger, with the same love for our community. Thank you for standing with us.”

City of Langley Mayor Nathan Pachal thanked firefighters for their quick response and said city council will support those affected.

CTV News has reached out to Langley city firefighters for more information. This story will be updated if a response is received.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ian Holliday