A fire that occurred sometime around midnight on Halloween destroyed a house in Gateway and kept firefighters working all night.
100 Mile House Fire Rescue chief Darrell Blades says the call came in about 1 a.m. on Nov. 1 for the blaze on Canim-Hendrix Lake Road. Thirteen members attended from his department with six from Forest Grove Volunteer Fire Department.
Two fire engines, three water tenders and three support vehicles were brought to the scene, but Blades notes the residence was fully engulfed upon arrival.
It was a defensive mode of fire suppression in its location outside of the hydrant protection area, he explains, and crews were unable to save the home.
The residents were the daughter of the family that owned the house and her baby. They were not home at the time.
Difficulties fighting the blaze arose when the tin roof collapsed in on the structure, which effectively blanketed the hot spots from their water spray, he adds.
Crews tackled the fire until around 6 a.m., when they had it doused to the point the tired firefighters could take a break until sunrise, he explains.
After a rest and the arrival of daylight, units returned around 10 a.m. to deal with the remaining hot spots, cleanup and investigation, but Blades says there was no discernible clue how it started.
“The insurance company is bringing in an investigator … but the building is quite burned out and the cause is going to be very difficult to determine.
“It is not considered suspicious.”
