The City of Vancouver says it will take at least two weeks to remove a crane that fell over in the Dunbar area from the road.

On Tuesday, August 6, a fire in a six-story wood-frame building under construction in the neighborhood caused a nearby crane to collapse across West 41st Avenue. During the collapse, the crane tore down power lines and overhead wires. A gas line also ruptured and caught fire, but emergency crews were able to bring it under control.

In a statement to CityNews on Thursday, it said the crane would not be moved from its current location for “at least two weeks.”

It says this prediction is due to the complexity of the planning, equipment and skilled workforce required to carry out the operation safely.

“Part of the complexity is that the crane is currently structurally sound, however, as workers begin dismantling it, the weight balance may shift, potentially causing instability. We are working with relevant partners to ensure a thorough and careful plan is in place to maintain safety throughout the process,” the city said, adding that the crane is the responsibility of the site owner and its contractors.

“Once the crane is removed, the site owner will be fully responsible for removing all debris. While the city is not responsible for cleanup, we will coordinate with Sightline Properties to ensure the neighborhood is notified of upcoming work.”

The city announced on Saturday that it is currently examining how best to dismantle the crane. The dismantling process is expected to take two to three weeks.

Chief construction official Saul Schwebs told 1130 NewsRadio that after the crane is removed, more work will be required to complete the cleanup.

Miranda Myles of the City of Vancouver’s Emergency Management Division said there will be some closures in the area in the meantime.

“There are now fences in place to help keep people in the right places,” she said Saturday.

“We also want to ensure that the businesses that are nearby are also accessible.”

While no one was injured, the impact of the fire and road closures was significant. Some homes were damaged by the crane and debris, while some businesses were forced to close for several days due to the fire and subsequent cleanup. Local business owners reported disruptions to phone lines and internet, adding that sales and customer traffic suffered in the days that followed.

“My business is 100 percent affected, no customers come,” Ajuna Reddy, owner of a dry cleaners on 41st Avenue, told CityNews on Saturday.

“And how are we going to pay the rent? How are we going to pay the taxes and the electricity bills and everything else?”

On Friday, August 9, most of the evacuees were allowed to return to their homes.

—With files from Raynaldo Suarez and Joe Sadowski