The Kitimat Fire Department sourced the fire which burned down a mobile home on Cranberry Street to a spot underneath the trailer in a far corner, but extensive fire damage has ultimately meant the cause of the blaze will go unknown.
“Looks like the fire potentially started in or around the skirting and potentially underneath the trailer, so [it was] burning up in to the contents,” said deputy Fire Chief Pete Bizarro.
One of two persona in the home was treated for minor injuries, however two of five dogs in the home didn’t make it out.
The fire broke out on November 30 at around 7:20 p.m.
Crews from the fire department responded with a ladder truck and were on scene for approximately three hours. Upon arrival, the mobile home was fully involved. An adjacent shop structure was saved from sustaining fire damage.
Eleven firefighters and two chief officers responded along with personnel from the District of Kitimat Public Works Department, BC Hydro, Pacific Northern Gas and the RCMP.
“Due to the fact that there was substantial structure damage, at this point it’s undetermined,” said Bizarro.
He said an investigator from the homeowner’s insurance company would also come up to do their own investigation.
Meanwhile the fire department did come up to some unanticipated challenges which they were able to easily work around during the fire.
Namely that two fire hydrants didn’t work for them and an additional fire truck from the fire hall had to be called down to provide back-up water.
“We were unable to get water. Not sure what the cause was,” said Bizarro, adding that District staff were called in to fix the problem before they left the scene.
A hydrant on Quatsino Boulevard worked and provided water, and Bizarro said those technical challenges didn’t impact fire suppression, and that there is usually some unanticipated challenge on any call out.
“From a bystander’s perspective it’s tough to hear these issues,” he said, but added, “That’s what we do and that’s what we’re trained for…It’s all about how you manage these problems.”
