At least 11 people were displaced following a large fire that damaged five townhouse units on Russell Road Tuesday.
Chilliwack firefighters from all six halls responded to the structure fire on Promontory on the morning of Feb. 4.
The first crew on scene reported seeing heavy smoke showing from the outside of a townhouse unit in the 46000-block of Russell Road near Sylvan Drive. Smoke could be seen from Young Road.
Neighbour Tatiana Kozuki called 911 at 9 a.m. after seeing smoke at the back of one of the units. Within about one or two minutes, she said flames were coming out of the building.
She and her mother, Raissa Petrova, said they saw a woman exit the townhouse carrying a baby. The two were taken into care of paramedics.
At least two neighbours of the townhouse complex tried to put the fire out with garden hoses as they waited for crews to arrive.
Some residents of the area posted photos of the three-storey townhouse complex that was fully involved.
The majority of the fire was knocked down within an hour of the arrival of fire crews. They remained on scene until mid-afternoon completing overhaul operations.
The unit where the blaze started sustained heavy fire and smoke damage, while the adjacent four units in the complex received light/moderate fire, smoke and water damage.
The Chilliwack Emergency Support Services team provided short term essential needs to 11 of the displaced occupants and a number of pets. Strata representatives were present at the scene and it is unclear as to when occupants will be able to return home.
The Chilliwack Salvation Army provide nourishment to responders and the Chilliwack School District sent a bus to the site for the displaced occupants to stay warm and dry.
There were no firefighter or civilian injuries reported.
This is the second townhouse fire in the same area in a little more than three years. In December 2016, one unit caught fire at the Timber Ridge complex on Russell Road.
READ MORE: Townhouse fire in Chilliwack (Dec. 8, 2016)
See www.theprogress.com for more details as the become available.
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