Terrace Fire Department extinguished a fire in a structural wall of a doctor’s office on Lazelle Ave. the morning of May 11.
“We were called right away, which probably saved this building,” said Dave Jephson, deputy fire chief.
Jephson said the fire department received a call that smoke was coming from behind metal siding on the west-facing wall of HG Health Centre.
“Crews started to pull everything apart, gain access, trying to chase to see where the fire was,” said Jephson, adding that fire was discovered burning inside the wall.
It was a good thing that the fire began when people were nearby to report it, Jephson said, because it could have been a lot worse due to the age of the building.
“This type of fire, very fortunate that fire crews were able to get here right away, very fortunate that there were people in the building and workers outside, that were able to notify authorities right away,” he said. “It’s an old building, old construction, so any type of fire in the wall, if it gets up into the attic or the trusses it’s just a real bad situation, so crews were able to do an awesome job and prevent that.”
Jephson said there was damage to drywall, plywood, and some of the wood framing in the wall. There was also smoke damage inside the building.
The fire was extinguished by the time The Terrace Standard spoke with Jephson around 11 a.m.
“The fire is out at this point and crews are just trying to clean up and mitigate any damage for the owner,” he said.
Jephson said this fire is a good reminder for folks to be aware of their surroundings, since quick notification from the public helped prevent significant damage to the building.
“Look after your neighbour. Be aware of what’s going on around you,” he said.
jake.wray@terracestandard.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
