A house was destroyed by fire about three kilometres south of Clinton during the early morning of Dec. 7.
Clinton Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) chief Wayne Walch says the call came in just after 4 a.m., and the 10 firefighters who responded struggled to battle the blaze under frigid conditions.
“When the call came in, it was -31 C, so we had lots of problems with icing.”
The people were already out of the house when crews arrived, he adds, but the fire was well underway.
“There is no water system there, so we had to transport water with our trucks back and forth from Clinton. There were quite a few trips.”
The home could not be saved and it burned to the ground, Walch explains.
“It was a bit of a challenge with the cold and trucking water.”
Firefighters were on scene until about noon, he notes, and then spent a couple of more hours cleaning up at the hall.
Clinton RCMP Cpl. Mike Eling says the call came in to police at 4:19 a.m. with a request from CVFD to assist with a residential house fire located at 6715-26 Mile Frontage Rd., off Highway 97.
“Initial reports indicated that all three occupants escaped the duplex-style residence unharmed. Local emergency services, including the [CVFD] and BC Ambulance, were on scene.”
Police investigation verified that there were no other occupants, he adds, and the cause of the fire is believed to have initiated from some renovations underway in the adjoining unit.
“The fire quickly engulfed the residence and appeared to have originated from the unoccupied side, where electrical renovations were taking place.”
A 65-year-old male was transported to Ashcroft Hospital for observation, where he was treated and released.
Eling says no foul play is suspected.
