A house fire in South Surrey Monday sent three people to hospital.
Assistant Surrey fire Chief Chris Keon said crews were called to the blaze, at a townhouse in the 2700-block of 158 Street, at 4 p.m. Monday.
Two young children and a grandmother were rescued from a balcony, one person suffered second-degree burns to their back, neck and hands, and two people were treated for smoke inhalation, Keon told Peace Arch News.
(Jessica Lloyd video)
Crews knocked down the fire quickly, however damage to the home was extensive.
“Heavy fire at the front of the house and smoke damage throughout,” Keon said.
Jessica Lloyd, who lives in the townhome complex with her husband and daughter, told PAN she was among the first people to arrive at the scene, after noticing the smoke while at nearby Oliver Park.
“We smelled… that burning plastic, electricky, something’s-not-right smell,” Lloyd said. “We walked up to 27th, saw some smoke coming up.
“It went out of control so fast. The flame started, it just went up. As fast as I could walk there, it was fully engulfed.”
Fire trucks “kept coming,” Lloyd said, noting she was impressed with both the response time and how quickly the blaze was brought under control.
Keon said seven fire trucks and 24 firefighters were tasked to the fire.
Firefighters carried one woman out of the house through the front door, and a young girl was carried from the back of the house, Lloyd said. Knowing everyone was saved lessened the shock felt from watching the fire unfold, she said.
Cause of the fire remains under investigation, however, Keon said Wednesday it was not suspicious “in any way, shape or form.”
Lloyd said the affected unit was one in a row of four, and that families from all four units were displaced.
A GoFundMe page launched on the same day to support the families impacted by the fire aims to raise $2,500. As of PAN‘s press deadline Wednesday, $270 had been donated.
“Funds will be relayed directly to the families (3 homes) to be split evenly and put towards temporary rental costs, clothes, toys for the children, toiletries, meals, insurance deductibles etc.,” the page states.
