There were no injuries, but "considerable smoke damage and some structural damage," from a fire at a Rowan Avenue Parksville house Friday morning, according to Parksville Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief Marc Norris.
The lone occupant of the house was an international student who called the owner when smoke alarms alerted him to the fire.
The owner told the student to leave the house and called the fire department at 8 a.m., Feb. 19. The student was checked by B.C. Ambulance members as a precaution and was fine, Norris said.
"Our crews were on scene quickly and really knocked the fire down quickly," he said of the 16 members who responded and were on scene for about two hours total.
While the smoke damage was extensive, most of the structural damage was on the exterior, including an recreational trailer in the driveway, but there was some structural damage to two rooms on the ground floor.
Norris said the results are a "good reminder of the importance of a working smoke alarm, with a working battery or hard-wired. It's an inexpensive way to improve safety."