Fire gutted an abandoned building on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside near the historic Woodward's building, shutting down a major commuter route Friday morning.

By 6:30 a.m., firefighters had the three-alarm fire under control and were hosing down the smoking embers, but traffic along Hastings Street near Abbott Street was still blocked.

Firefighter battle a blaze on Hastings Street early Friday morning on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. (CBC)

Water from the fire was pooling on surrounding streets, causing traffic problems there as well.

Vancouver Fire Department Capt. Rob Jones-Cook said it appeared nobody was injured in the blaze, but residents were evacuated from the Grand Union Hotel next door.

Jones-Cook said the cause of the fire was not yet known, but added that it was "suspicious" since the electricity in the building had been turned off.

The maintenance man from the Grand Union Hotel told CBC News that squatters were living inside the building.

The brick and stucco building was one of several on the block that had recently been sold to a developer.