Friends and family of a man who died in an accidental fire last Saturday are calling him a hero for an incident just a few hours before.
Dale Morrissey was the victim found in a basement fire in a house on Butchart Street after 7 a.m. on Sept. 11.
When Chilliwack Fire Department crews arrived at around 7:16 a.m. that day, fire was coming out of the basement window. After crews knocked down the blaze, they entered the home and found a man deceased in the basement bedroom.
READ MORE: 1 person dead following house fire in Chilliwack
A dog was also with him and was also deceased.
Three hours before that fire, at about 4 a.m., friends say Morrissey was a passenger in a car driving north on Chilliwack River Road when they came across a motor vehicle accident. A car was in a ditch with smoke coming out of the engine. Friends say there was an elderly man with a disability trapped in the vehicle.
“Dale without any hesitation and another unknown gentleman lifted him away to safety,” according to a post on his sister Crystal Morrissey’s Facebook page. “By saving this old man from being burned to death in his car it shows his bravery and I feel that needs to told as he went from saving someone else’s life to losing his life hours later.”
Friends and family held candlelight vigils in front of the house the two nights after Morrissey’s death.
RCMP and BC Coroners Service were also called to the scene of the fire on Sept. 11.
The majority of the fire damage was contained to the bedroom, and there was smoke and water damage to the rest of the house. The fire is considered accidental.
About 35 firefighters responded to the fire from Halls 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. There were no firefighter injuries.
– with files from Jenna Hauck
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