Fire destroyed a home in the Willow Point area of Campbell River on Sunday, but its residents are unharmed, according to fire chief Thomas Doherty.
The Campbell River Fire Department responded to the fire at around 12:30 p.m. As they approached the house, located at 2250 Joanne Drive, a large column of black smoke could be seen from a distance.
“[The] two-story residential building was fully engulfed, with heavy smoke and fire coming out of all levels, all windows, all openings,” said Doherty as firefighters wrapped up their operation on Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters didn’t attempt to enter the home, but worked on the fire from outside and protected neighbouring structures by spraying the outer walls with water.
The fire didn’t spread to other homes, but the siding had melted on the wall of a house that was visible from the street.
Nearby hedges had also been reduced to cinders, and a Honda Civic parked in the driveway of the destroyed home also appeared to be gutted by flames.
Doherty said that two residents were at home when the fire broke out. They were able to exit the building unharmed and call 911 at a neighbour’s house. He confirmed that nobody was injured in the fire, but said that a kitten was unaccounted for.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but investigators will be examining the building in the coming days, he said. Asked about the prospects of the burned-out shell of a home, he said it was likely a “total loss” that would be demolished after investigation.
Campbell River firefighters work to contain fully involved structure fire and protect neighbouring exposures today. pic.twitter.com/Fu1wdHILOk
— Campbell River Fire (@RiverCityFire) August 19, 2018
He also said that Emergency Support Services had been notified to ensure the family is cared for over the next 72 hours.
Area residents watched from the street as firefighters used a tower truck to spray the building from above, while other firefighters hosed down the smoldering ruins from the ground. There were 13 firefighters on-scene, along with police and ambulance workers.
Doherty took a took a moment to emphasize the importance of smoke alarms.
“The occupants did indicate their smoke alarms did activate, which is good,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of always having an alternative exit, noting that the occupants knew how to get out of the burning structure.
Jet Everett, 17, who lives next door to the destroyed home, said he got a call from his mother, who was out fishing when she heard about the fire, at around 12:30 p.m.
“I immediately jumped outside to look at the neighbour’s house, and it was just soaring,” he said. “It was engulfed.”
He woke up his brothers, grabbed everything he could, including the family dogs and some clothes, and left the house, which wasn’t damaged by the fire.
Karissa Everett, Jet’s mother, said she expected the community would rally to support the family whose home had been reduced to ruins.
“Sometimes when the community hears about incidents like this, they really wrap around families,” she said. “That’s one good thing about Campbell River.”
Residents of the home were nearby as firefighters hosed down the house, but a friend of the family requested privacy on their behalf.
david.koch@campbellrivermirror.com
