Two people are recovering in hospital after a fire burned through their home in Port Alberni in the early-morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 2.
Firefighters with Port Alberni fire department were paged at 1:15 a.m. for a structure fire in the 2500-block of 16th Avenue. A crew of four had already been in full gear nearby after a call that turned out to be a false alarm, and were able to respond swiftly.
"They were on scene very quickly to find the house mostly involved in fire," Port Alberni Fire Dept. deputy Chief Travis Cross said. "It had been burning for a bit before we were called."
The first firefighters on scene discovered two occupants at the front door threshold and quickly moved them away from the building and administered medical attention until an ambulance arrived. One of the occupants "had life-threatening injuries," Cross said. Both were taken to hospital.
Two firefighters attempted to cool down the fire from the outside while waiting for more trucks from Port Alberni, Beaver Creek, Cherry Creek and Sproat Lake fire departments.
Cross said the fire was difficult to tackle because of the home's structure. "There were some void areas that were difficult to attend to," he said. "We were able to put the majority of the fire out fairly expediently. Our 100-foot aerial (ladder) was helpful getting the stubborn areas out."
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the one home despite it being close to "combustibles" and other homes. No other occupants were in the building, and two animals that were missing at the scene were later found out in the street by RCMP.
Emergency Social Services (ESS) were brought in to assist occupants who were unable to return to the home.
The RCMP is now investigating the fire as suspicious, Cross said.
Taylor Laforge, whose grandmother was rescued from the fire, said her grandma and another family member are recovering in hospital.
Laforge is trying to collect basic hygiene items and clothing for her grandmother and other people displaced in the fire. She is looking for items for women (40 and 64 years old) and a man (58 years old), as well as dog food and accessories for a large dog. People wishing to help may send a direct message to Laforge via Facebook.
