Fires over the long weekend left two homes destroyed and one family in the cold.
Firefighters from Malaspina Fire Department arrived on the scene of the first fire at the corner of Edlund and Kelly Creek roads at approximately 10:30 am Saturday, February 8.
Deputy Fire Chief Jim Wyatt said that he requested BC Hydro to cut power to the home so that fire crews could attack the blaze from all sides and prevent the fire from spreading to other structures. Crews fought for six hours to extinguish the blaze which completely destroyed the home. The family escaped without injury.
“They lost everything,” Wyatt said. “The family didn’t have any shoes.”
Emergency Social Services were contacted and an immediate relief response on social media began. The family was taken in by neighbours to make sure they were all right, he added.
Approximately 12 firefighters from Malaspina Fire Department responded to a second house fire, located between Maris and McCausland roads, at 6 am on Monday, February 10. The unoccupied home was completely destroyed in the blaze which was first reported by a motorist on Highway 101.
Wyatt said that a preliminary investigation is underway for the cause and ignition source of the blaze.
“To have two structure fires in a year is odd for us,” said Wyatt. He asked that people be vigilant in checking their chimneys before lighting their fireplaces or wood stoves during cold spells if the fires have not been lit for a year.
Firefighters from the Malaspina Fire Department were called to a house fire at 2557 Kelly Creek Rd., on the morning of Saturday, Feb 8. Deputy Fire Chief, Jim Wyatt, said that while no one was injured in the blaze, the home was leveled in what is being called a total loss.
“Our crew arrived on the scene at approximately 10:30 am,” Wyatt said. “There was no possibility of an interior attack so we developed a plan to contain the blaze as quickly as possible. The call was made to have BC Hydro come in and shut down all power to the site to enable us to get at the fire from all sides. Once our guys were safe we started in on containing the fire from spreading to any surrounding structures.”
Firefighters were on-site for six hours before the fire was fully extinguished.
“They lost everything,” Wyatt said. “The family didn’t have any shoes. We asked the attending RCMP to contact Emergency Social Services to take care of the family’s immediate needs. I believe one of the neighbours took them in and made sure they were ok as well.”
