The Chilliwack Fire Department dealt with a devastating house fire on Saturday that may have originated in a garage often used by homeless squatters.
At 3:35 p.m. on April 25, firefighters from five halls responded to the structure fire in the 46000-block of Second Avenue.
When they arrived on scene, firefighters found a single family residential home with flames and smoke showing from the building’s garage.
(Below video courtesy of William Snow.)
Flames apparently moved from the garage to the house located in the downtown Chilliwack area.
There were no occupants in the vacant house, and Fire Chief Ian Josephson first said it was believed the house was vacant and frequented by homeless persons. He later clarified that there was a tenant in the house, but that the garage was used by homeless individuals.
The fire has been deemed to be accidental.
There was a fire in a trailer (seen in the pictures) located in the backyard of the property about a month ago. In that fire, on March 29, there were two people sleeping in the travel trailer when the glow of the flames woke them up. They managed to escape safely with their dog.
READ MORE: Trailer severely damaged in Sunday morning fire in downtown Chilliwack
The Chilliwack Fire Department would like to remind owners of vacant buildings there is an increased risk when it comes to firefighter safety and property damage including vandalism, theft and or fire damage.
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