A fire overnight in North Cowichan has heavily damaged the the Good Neighbours Thrift Store in the 58-hundred block of York Road just off the Tran Canada highway.
Deputy Chief Jason de Jong of the North Cowichan Fire Department says the call came in at 12:49am and the flames were spreading fast by the time they arrived.
de Jong says flames had reached the windows of the second floor in one corner by the time the first fire crew arrived.
He says it required about four hours for firefighters from four halls to bring it under control.
As of 9am this morning, firefighters were continuing to pour water into the building with a ladder truck to cool the remaining hotspots so fire inspectors could begin to examine the charred interior.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time.
