Fire crews battled a mobile home fire in the 4400-block of Canim-Hendrix Lake Road in the early hours during the morning commute on Dec. 6.
The two occupants made it out of the building, including an elderly woman who was treated on scene for minor injuries. She and the other occupant were both transported to 100 Mile District General Hospital by ambulance.
100 Mile House Free Press publisher Martina Dopf says she was driving to work around 8:30 a.m. when she noticed smoke coming out of a mobile home on Canim-Hendrix Lake Road near Forest Grove.
“I stopped right away and tried to call 9-1-1; however, there was no cell service. Then I saw a lady walking out of the trailer, calling for help.”
Dopf says she gave a signal to the woman, who was beyond hearing range, then immediately ran to the house across the road and asked the residents to call 9-1-1.
“By that time, several vehicles had stopped and I noticed people walking towards the fully engulfed trailer and checking on the resident. They said everybody was out of the trailer.”
The neighbour then approached the scene of the burning trailer, notified Dopf they had reached 9-1-1 and confirmed help was on its way.
Fire crews from Forest Grove and 100 Mile House attended the scene and successfully extinguished the blaze, but were unable to save the home.
BC Ambulance Service were also called to the scene, both for treating the injured woman and later for Fire Crew Maintenance support.
100 Mile House RCMP also attended.
Forest Grove Volunteer Fire Department (FGVFD) chief Aron Zablotny says he responded to the call at 8:37 a.m. and eight members were on scene by about 9 a.m. with an engine and two water tenders.
Upon the crew’s arrival, the single-wide mobile home was fully involved with smoke and flames, but the occupants were confirmed safe and in the care of the BC Ambulance Service.
“It was great today. We had an ample supply of water, so other than the winter firefighting conditions that we have to deal with – the ice and [cold temperatures] – everything went good.”
100 Mile House Fire-Rescue (OMFR) chief Roger Hollander says his department also responded with 10 members, an engine and a tender to assist the FGVFD.
His crew was also glad to have plenty of water available, which is often another challenge in winter, Hollander says, adding crews were also busy dragging items out of the trailer and dousing them.
Both departments were on scene until around 1 p.m. when the fire was fully extinguished.
