Four families are out of their homes this week after an early morning fire in a townhouse complex on Evans Road in Chilliwack.
At approximately 4 a.m. on March 14, the Chilliwack Fire Department was dispatched to a reported residential structure fire located in the 7000-block of Evans Road.
Firefighters responded from Halls 1, 4, and 6 and, on arrival, reported seeing heavy smoke and flames venting through the centre roof peak of four attached homes.
Occupants were at home and asleep at the time of the fire. One person woke up to strange sounds, smelled smoke and noticed embers outside the rear of the home. The resident called the Chilliwack Fire Department (CFD) and alerted occupants in attached units.
The fire appears to have started on the outside of one of the centre units and travelled up to the soffits and into the attic space, according to the CFD.
Firefighters set up a defensive attack, and were able to quickly bring the fire under control. The two centre homes suffered extensive fire, water, and smoke damage, while the two outside homes suffered smoke damage.
The occupants were unable to return to their homes.
There were no civilian or firefighter injuries.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, and is under investigation by the Chilliwack Fire Department.
The CFD is reminding to remind the public to ensure they have a home fire escape plan.
The following link to the National Fire Protection Association website shows information on how to make a home fire escape plan: www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Safety-in-the-home/Escape-planning.
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