Six fire trucks and an ambulance responded to a house fire Tuesday morning in west Maple Ridge.
The call came in just before 8 a.m. about a two-storey structure fire near 210th Street and 119 Avenue.
Black smoke and flames were showing at the back of the building, according to reports.
As well, an animal was seen inside the structure.
Firefighters entered the building to knock down flames. Smoke could still be seen coming from the second floor.
Nearby resident Bill Palmeter saw the smoke and then saw the blinds move, and thought someone was inside the house. He and another passerby tried to help out.
“We smashed the bedroom basement window and I kicked the front door open just to yell to see if anyone was inside,” he said.
They did not see anyone come out, and he thought it could be a dog inside.
One ambulance has left the scene without a patient.
A neighbour reported seeing flames billowing out the front door just after 8 a.m. while taking her son to school. She had thought the house was empty after being sold during the summer.
Police have just blocked off the area around the house.
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