Three people and three dogs escaped without injury but their Duncan home was gutted by fire on Saturday night.
Duncan volunteer firefighters got the call to head out to 1050 Trunk Rd. just before 10 p.m. The house was fully engulfed by the time trucks arrived at the scene.
“It took 35 minutes to knock it down and get it under control, and then another two hours of mopping up the hot spots,” said Duncan fire chief Mike McKinlay, adding the hall sent three trucks and 22 members to battle the blaze.
The house was completely destroyed.
“Everything is gone,” property owner Richard LeDuc confirmed. “We all got out alive, safe and uninjured.”
LeDuc, 57, his daughter Kobi, and her boyfriend had all been home at the time.
“It really sucks,” Kobi said. “I lost everything I owned. But I got my dogs and they’re priceless to me so that’s all that matters — and that we had all gotten out safe.
It was a close call, however.
Kobi said her father rushed back into the burning house to retrieve her large dog Bandit.
“My dad wasn’t going to leave Bandit behind,” Kobi said. “I even tried going back in there crawling but couldn’t because of the thick smoke.”
Kobi was too frightened to move, she said.
“My dad and Bandit got out just in time. Another minute and they’d be dead. Thank the Lord for the fire guy who asked if anyone was in the house and I said ‘yes my dad and Bandit are in there!'”
The firefighter went to the back of the house and Richard LeDuc handed the big dog out the back window to him before LeDuc followed out the window.
Neighbours watched as the house was completely lost to flames.
“The fire team were amazing,” neighbour Marty Daniels told media. “They were here on top of it.” His home was evacuated due to the risk of the fire spreading.
“It went way up but they contained it. We were all surprised that it went up that easy,” Daniels added.
The building was too dangerous to enter as of Monday.
“Investigating it will be a challenge,” McKinlay said.
Campaigns on various Facebook groups have been collecting clothes and supplies for the family.
sarah.simpson@cowichanvalleycitizen.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
