1 dead, 6 taken to hospital after New Year's Day house fire in Surrey, B.C., says fire service

One person has died in a fire that engulfed a home in Surrey, B.C.,onNew Year's Day, according to fire officials and police.

Fire crews responded to a house fire near144Street and26Avenue in the south of the city around 6:45 a.m. PT Monday, said Surrey Fire Servicedeputy chief of operations Rob Aldcorn.

"Crews arrived to heavy smoke and flames," he told CBC News on Monday. "We were able to rescue three people off of an exterior balcony."

Anoccupant of the homewas found dead inside, Aldcorn said.

In total,10 people were treated by paramedics, six of whomwere taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries including smoke inhalation, he added.

Fire investigators are working with RCMP to determine the cause of the blaze, which Aldcorn said has caused "significant damage" to the home.

"We do have reports that there was smoke coming from more than one area in the home upon arrival and there was flames from some of the windows," he said.

CBC News has contacted B.C. Emergency Health Services for comment.

Pictures of the scene reviewed by CBC News show black smoke billowing from the blown-out windows of atwo-storey home.

More than a dozen firefighters, three fire trucks, two ambulances and at least one police vehicle were all visible on scene before 10 a.m. Monday.

Surrey RCMP said144Street was closed in both directions. The road has since reopened.

Police say they're canvassing the neighbourhood for witnesses and asking anyone with information to call the RCMP.